The Night of the Mermaid
by Andamogirl
Summary: Miguelito Loveless is back with a new scheme to be freed of those thorns in his side, namely James West and Artemus Gordon. Oh, and mermaids, plural.
1. Teaser

**THE NIGHT OF THE MERMAID**

 **By Andamogirl**

Author's notes: Season 2.

Episode-tag. This story takes place right after the end of "The Night of the Green Terror."

Reference to "TN the Dragon Screamed & The Night of the Green Terror."

Reference to my story TNOT Outlaw; TNOT Deadly Showboat.

I know, I know, what? A mermaid? But why not? In season 2 of the WWW, we can find a mechanical bird that changes things and people into solid gold, a powder that can shrink people, dead people brought back to life, Frankenstein-style, a flying-saucer, a ghost, a man who mysteriously rejuvenates, a junket through time, a travel in another dimension… etc. So, yes, a mermaid has its place.

 _Artie_ _: "How long do you think it'll be before Loveless turns his twisted little mind to us?"  
_ _Dr. Loveless_ _: "Right now, Mr. Gordon. In fact, you and Mr. West are never out of my mind."_

TNOT Green Terror

Many thanks to my beta reader Tripidydoodah.

Warning: graphic violence & drowning and temporary major character death.

WWW

 **TEASER**

 _San Francisco_

 _Museum of Art_

Professor Hartfield gestured toward a huge figurehead, representing a lovely, blond, mermaid and said, "And here, we have the centerpiece of the future exposition on the Caribbean pirates, Mr. Gordon. It's the only part left of the famous pirate ship the _Black Saber_. It was discovered on a beach of the famous pirates' lair, 'l'île de la Tortue', two years ago. It has been added to the collections of the museum recently."

Special agent Artemus Gordon of the US Secret Services looked up too at the sculpted wooden marine creature and said, "I can see why, she's so realistic…" He smiled, smitten. "She looks like she's alive, and she's… really perfect, her face, her body..." And couldn't help but touch one of the faded green painted scales on her fish tail. "She's beautiful."

Hartfield chuckled. "You're not the first man to succumb to her charms, but I have to warn you. Be careful, Mr. Gordon, a legend says that if a man stares at her eyes for one hour without blinking, he'll be turned into the head figure of a male mermaid, called a merman and will take his place at her side, at the bow of the ship, to accompany her, in the ocean, forever. Look at her eyes; Mr. Gordon, they are made with two big sapphires, about the size of a fist. They are worth a fortune each. Captain Stevenson, commanding the _Black Saber_ wanted his ship to be the most beautiful."

Artie nodded. "And she certainly was."

Hartfield nodded. "By the way, that lovely mermaid has a name, Mira. Her name is engraved on the side of her green tail."

Suddenly the two men heard the very recognizable sounds of two hammers being cocked and they turned around… to discover a gray-haired diminutive man, grinning, flanked by two armed men, one of the two being a blond, mountain- like-built- -brute with a scar down his left cheek.

Dr. Miguelito Loveless nodded. "And those two sapphires are mine, now." He rubbed his hands in glee and continued, "I didn't know I would find you here tonight Mr. Gordon, it's the icing on the cake. It's so nice to see you again, and so soon after our last encounter, just two days ago. I came here for the sapphires… and I have an unexpected bonus: you. Hands up and no sudden movements, gentlemen. My new collaborators here are a notoriously trigger-happy."

His back stiffening, Artemus lowered his hand, in a flash, to his right side… and cursed under his breath. He had left his gun belt in the Wanderer. This visit in preview of the exhibition was not supposed to be dangerous, he thought. 'The next time you visit an exhibition, old boy, you will bring your weapon, you never know… If there is a next time…'

Loveless grinned. "Nice reflex, but your revolver would have been of no use to you." He waved an admonishing finger. "Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! You shouldn't leave the Wanderer unarmed, Mr. Gordon. That's not prudent. You have many enemies, and I am the most formidable one."

Artie rubbed his chin pensively, for a few seconds, and then said, "I've had more formidable enemies and will have others in the future, no doubt…" He paused, savoring Loveless's irritated scowl. Then he quickly bowed his head as a mark of respect and admiration, and continued, "But you are no doubt the most intelligent, creative and persistent one, Dr. Loveless. No one comes close to you when it comes to finding ways out of the ordinary to get rid of Jim and me… But unfortunately for you, and fortunately for Jim and me, all your wonderful schemes inevitably fail. "He smiled. " _C'est comme ça, c'est la vie_ ," he finally added.

Miguelito Loveless pulled out a long hollow tube made of cane from the inside of his jacket and a dart. "I brought a souvenir from my recent stay with the Indians, a weapon called a blow gun, it's very handy to neutralize someone smoothly and silently – of course Indians put poison on the tip of the dart..." he placed a light projectile inside the cane, placed the extremity to his lips and propelled the dart by the force of his breath. "I use a powerful sedative."

Hit in his neck by the dart, Professor Hartfield swayed on unsteady legs for a few seconds and then he collapsed in Artemus's arms, unconscious.

Lowering the old man to the floor, Artie glared at his Nemesis.

Loveless giggled. "I love using that Indian weapon… don't worry about the Professor, he'll wake with a splitting headache in a few hours…"

Standing, his arms crossed on his chest, Artemus asked, his face now neutral, "I don't like surprises, they can be badly surprising. What did you plan for me?"

Loveless eyes gleamed, his expression jubilant. "As your partner and you are _never out of my mind_ , I always have something prepared to get rid of you. You will cease to bother me soon – definitively. You will die slowly and painfully. I have planned something simple this time…"

Artie smiled. "Ah! That's why you decided to steal the sapphires. You have a new big idea coming up and you need money to build it – and to pay your henchmen of course and for your daily lifestyle, which is rather luxurious."

Loveless smiled. "Exactly, and I put some money aside in a foreign bank too, for my future family. Like every man, I want to have a wife and children, later. For now I'm too busy. " He looked up at the mass of muscles standing on his right side and continued, "Smith, take the sapphires, use the tools I gave you, but be careful with them, don't damage them, or I will have your head!" Then he looked up at his other henchman, the blond giant. "Peters, take Mr. Gordon !"

Immediately Artie felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. He could fight against a man even bigger and stronger than Voltaire, but not for long, he thought. He would try his best to resist Peters, but he had no chance against the giant. He could put up a good fight, though.

He moved back, balling his hands into tight fists, planted his feet firmly, ready to defend himself.

Peters holstered his Colt and pounced on Artemus like a bull on a matador. Artie stepped to the side, and smashed his fist straight into his assailant's cheek, hard, as hard as he could, with as much force as he could muster, sending him reeling.

He smiled, proud of himself. 'Not bad!'

Peters reached down, grabbed a fistful of the front of Artie's shirt and punched the special agent hard in his solar plexus in return.

Artie doubled over, the wind completely knocked out of him. He grunted and sagged to his hands and knees on the tiled floor.

He swallowed a bunch of bile but threw up awkwardly, nonetheless, splashing Peters's boots.

The brute hauled Artie upright and backhanded him across the face with his massive hand, hitting his right eye, splitting his lower lip and flattening his nose, causing trickles of blood to flow down his face and knocking him sprawling to the floor.

He cradled his jaw. He tasted blood and spat it out.

Loveless loved the spectacle. "Don't break him Peters – not too much," he said, folding his arms, a wide grin on his face.

Blood on his lips, Artemus lurched to his feet, clenching his teeth against the general pain and swayed as he took a heavy limp to one side, his head pounding and his vision wavering.

Grabbing Artemus by the neck, in a vice like hold, half strangling the agent in the process, Peters tilted the other man's face up and said, "Time to say goodnight, old man!" and he brought a heavy fist down on Artie's head, like a hammer.

A grunt of pain escaped Artie's lips before he slumped sideways, boneless, his vision filled with stars, into an unconscious heap.

WWW

 _The Wanderer, much later_

Holding his last conquest by her hand, Jim West led her to the platform of the Wanderer. The woman looked at the luxurious train, impressed.

She smiled, totally smitten, playing with a lock of her hair. "You live in your own train? You must be very rich James…" And she moved even closer to Jim.

Jim smiled. "The train's not mine, and I'm not rich. It belongs to a rich uncle, Sam… He lends it to me to travel through the country and I'm sharing that train with my best friend, Artemus Gordon."

She frowned. "I thought that we'd be alone tonight, James…"

Jim kissed his date's lips, softly. "We'll be alone. Artemus is visiting an old friend at the Art Museum. He won't be back for hours, Myriam…"

Myriam pointed at the railing of the platform. "Look! There's a watch here with a note!"

Pivoting, Jim spotted the said watch hanging from the railing and noticed the letters AG engraved on the gold case – it was Artie's pocket watch, and the piece of paper had been slid inside it.

He frowned in alarm. Something was wrong. Artie had left the Wanderer hours before with his monogrammed watch slid into the pocket of his waistcoat.

He climbed onto the platform. There was a worried furrow between his eyebrows as he took the small piece of paper from the watch case. That can't be good, he thought. He read, "Warehouse 14, Oak Street, midnight. Come alone."

He turned toward Myriam and said, "I'm sorry, Myriam, but I'll have to postpone our dinner, my friend needs me. He left a message ... I'm sorry."

Myriam pouted. "Your friend first and me after…"

Jim nodded. "My friend's first and foremost, all the time, always."

WWW

 _Warehouse 14, Oak Street, later_

Holding his gun, James West entered the warehouse. The ground was covered with bits of ice. Crates filled with fish and ice were stacked everywhere.

It was cold.

He spotted Artemus, sitting on a chair, tied up and gagged. Artie's chin was resting on his chest, and the older man was immobile.

Looking around him, on his guard, he moved toward his seemingly unconscious partner.

He lifted Artie's head, carefully cataloging his partner's injuries and cringed seeing the bloodied nose, the swollen right eye socket, the bruised cheekbone and a cut to his puffy lower lip.

He removed the gag and gently cupped Artemus's face with his hands. "Artie! Artie! Can you hear me? Artie! Wake up buddy…" He spotted a bump on the top of his head. There was no blood, fortunately. Just a nasty bruise. "I'm here. You're okay…"

He holstered his gun and pulled out the throwing knife he always carried between his shoulder blades in a vertical sleeve in the back of his bolero jacket. He cut the ropes and Artie slumped forward. Grabbing Artemus under the armpits he hauled him to his feet. "I've got you. I'm going to take you to the hospital…"

He was ready to hoist his passed out companion on his shoulder when the floor immediately underneath Jim's feet opened. They both fell and hit the ground, about ten feet lower, in another room, with bruising force, and with a thud.

The chair fell on Jim's back then toppled over. Jim rolled on his back and saw a trap door silently closing above him.

Shortly after Artemus regained consciousness, lying on his stomach, and let his partner pull him upright then he swayed on unsteady legs. "Wha h'pened?" he asked, coughing, his throat hoarse, confused.

Jim raised the chair and maneuvered Artie onto it. "Stay here, Artie, don't move!" then he surveyed the ice storage room which was weakly lit by two kerosene lamps .The four walls were covered with ice blocks and the temperature was freezing.

He moved toward the big, metallic, solid door, finding it locked from the outside. They were trapped!

He glanced around him. Or not. By placing blocks of ice under the trapdoor, they could build stairs, and reach the ceiling, and the trapdoor.

He heard a plaintive, "Jim!" and rushed beside Artie, catching him in his arms just before he crumpled to the floor.

He lowered Artie against a crate, and cupped his face. He frowned in alarm, noticing his best friend's unfocused eyes and his pallor. "Hang on, Artie!"

Blinking slowly as his surroundings blurred in and out of focus, Artie mumbled, "Ice… there's ice… cold." He closed his eyes. He could feel himself drifting. Then, suddenly, he retched hard and vomited – right on Jim's blue bolero jacket.

Blackness overtook him.

Hearing laughter he would recognize even among thousands, Jim looked up at the opened trapdoor. "Dr. loveless. I should have known that it was you."

Loveless smiled. "Welcome Mr. West. I'm very happy to meet you again. I hope you liked my present, the ice box. You're going to stay here while I prepare what is necessary to get rid of you." He dropped a small sphere to the ground and it exploded on contact.

Immediately a thick yellow smoke formed a large cloud that spread everywhere. Jim put his hand in front of his mouth and nose but it was already too late.

Loveless Chuckled. "I too have smoke bombs. Sleep well, Mr. West."

He closed the trapdoor.

Sinking on his knees beside Artemus, Jim succumbed to the knockout gas. His vision went black as he lost consciousness.

Tbc.


	2. Act One

**THE NIGHT OF THE MERMAID**

 **By Andamogirl**

WWW

 **ACT ONE**

Everything was blurred – and he was freezing.

He was shaking, his skin was cold, his teeth were chattering. The temperature was so low that his hands and feet were numb.

His vision cleared eventually and Jim propped himself up on his elbows. He immediately noticed that he had been relieved of his boots, his belt, his jacket and of course his gun belt. He had no gadgets left. But, for once, he wasn't in his underwear. He glanced at Artie lying on the floor, opposite, and saw that his jacket and boots were gone.

Recent memories flooded his mind. "Loveless!" he groaned.

He noticed too that Artie and he had been moved while they were knocked out. They were now locked in a refrigeration room, but not in the same one.

Crates were filled with all kind of fish and algae.

Moving beside Artie, he rubbed his arms to get some feeling back into them, then sitting on the pallet, he pulled the other man onto his lap, settling him with his back against his chest, and wrapped his arms around him, tangling his legs with Artie's.

They needed to share body heat to survive in the so very cold room.

His whole body shaking, Artemus came around a few minutes later. He shifted in Jim's embrace but was forced to stay still by the sharp pain in his head. He clenched his teeth and closed his now-swollen shut eyes, waiting for the pain to subside. "Ow boy!" he let out, his breath fogging out in front of him in the freezing cold air. "I'm just one, big, bruise…"

Frowning in worry, Jim tightened his embrace. "Don't mo-move Artie, you were pretty beat-beaten up. And we need to keep our bod-body heat."

Glancing around him, at the dimly lit refrigeration room, Artie nodded. "An ice storage room, w-with fish, w-what a love-lovely pl-place… What hap-happened? I mean after t-that brute used me like a p-punching bag."

Jim sighed. "I came to r-rescue you, and we both fell in an ice b-blocks storage room thanks to a hidden trapdoor. Then Loveless used a kn-knockout gas on us, and now we're here, in another re-refrigeration room, probably in his s-secret hideout. L-Loveless is probably working on his last invention to kill us, s-slowly and p-painfully. The u-usual."

His teeth chattering, Artemus surveyed his trembling body, and wriggled his cold toes, numb inside his socks. He still had his clothes, less the jacket and noticed that his boots were gone too. "We're not in our underwear, t-that's a change. L-Loveless wants to keep us very cold, but alive. That's why-y." He looked up at the metallic door. "Is th-there no way for us to try and bre-break out, Jim? He asked.

Looking again at the thick solid door, covered in ice, Jim shook his head and sneezed. "N-no, I'm afraid. There's no way to escape from here."

Closing his eyes, Artemus slurred, "th'as too b-bad…"

Feeling his best friend slacken in his arms, he shook Artie's arm. "You still with me, buddy?"

Opening his eyes, Artie breathed, "Ya… was thinking." Cocking his head, his brain now working on inventor mode, Artemus said, "You k-know, I'm plan-planning to invent underclothes with s-some h-hidden pockets, like sewn in the w-waistband… It could be very h-handy w-when you and I end up in our-our underwear, what happens f-far t-too often for my t-taste." He pulled his knees up against his chest. "Loveless should hurry, because we're going to-to f-freeze to death in a short time…" He smiled weakly and asked, "How was your s-soirée?"

Shivering, Jim rested his forehead against the back of Artie's head, Jim replied, "It was p-perfect – until I saw Loveless's m-message slid inside your pocket watch, h-hanging against the railing of the rear p-platform of the Wanderer. I had to post-postpone dinner with my date. Y-yours?"

Pressing himself against Jim's chest, huddling for more warmth, Artie said, "Perfect until Loveless s-showed up and everything went d-downhill after t-that." He grunted as he couldn't feel his lips which had probably turned slightly blue. "I'm losing feeling in my feet…We're going to get hypothermia if we stay here… "He gasped as he was suddenly wracked by big shivers. "God! M'so cold."

Jim rested his chin on his companion's shoulder, keeping him close. "H-he w-won't let us die here. He h-has p-prepared something else f-for us."

It was so cold that sharing body heat failed to warm them up.

Suddenly the door opened and Peters appeared, holding a gun. "Move! The Doctor wants to see you!" he commanded.

Moving to their feet the two agents, covered in a thin layer of frost, joined the big man in the corridor. Immediately two other henchmen, also armed, framed them.

But Jim suddenly squatted and punched the man walking at his left side, and Artie did the same thing with the goon on his right side, a split second later.

Peters hit Artemus head with the butt of his gun, hard. There was a crack and Artie crumpled to the ground like a ragdoll.

Seeing that, Jim froze. "Artie!"

WWW

 _Later, in Loveless's lab_

Loveless looked up at Peters, furious. "I needed Mr. Gordon conscious, Peters." He gestured toward the older agent lying at his feet, on the ground, passed out. Blood was running down the side of Artie's face and he was as white as a ghost. "Put him on the table! I hope he's not dead, not yet."

Peters complied. "I'm sorry, Doctor." He said.

Loveless climbed on a chair and started to examine the head injury, frowning. "It doesn't look too bad," he commented. "It's superficial, but scalp wounds always bleed a lot and they are very painful. He'll need some stitches though."

Kneeling on the floor, his hands shackled behind his back, two brutes holding him down, Jim paled . "If he dies…" he growled, his eyes flashing.

Loveless turned toward Jim. "Don't worry, Mr. West, he won't die. He has a cut and probably a concussion. I'm going to take care of your precious Artemus. He'll die, yes, but he'll die the way I planned he will, not from a head trauma."

Artie's lips parted. He made a faint sound. His eyes fluttered open. "Ji-im," Artemus hissed, his breaths coming in gasps. He moaned in pain.

Loveless ordered, "Peters! Give me one of my darts!" Peters complied and the diminutive man immediately pierced the skin of Artie's neck with the sharp point and shoved it into his flesh. "Good night, Mr. Gordon. Pleasant dreams."

WWW

 _ **In Artie's brain:**_

 _In Loveless's laboratory_

Entering the vast room, Jim and Artie immediately noticed a high, large red curtain closing off the rear part of the obviously subterranean room: walls had been carved into the gray rock, there were no windows, and the whole place was lit with dozens of lanterns and silver chandeliers supporting candles. The floor was covered with thick, colorful oriental carpets.

They frowned as they could hear running water… and a loud splash.

Miguelito Loveless left his armchair, placed behind a large table, covered with books, and headed toward the two agents. "Mr. West, Mr. Gordon, I hope you appreciated the coolness of your cell? It's so hot outside, you can't imagine. That's why I built this place, underground, I hate the heat." He chuckled and added, "I have prepared something special for you, something from a fairytale." He gestured toward the books. "I have always loved fairytales; they are filled with fantastic characters, strange creatures, magic ..."

He snapped his fingers and a goon began to lift the huge curtain.

Little by little a large metallic tank was revealed, standing in the middle of the room. It possessed large round openings, like the portholes of a ship, and was alimented with fresh seawater by a big tube coming out from the wall, above, salted water cascading onto the surface. Smaller tubes placed in the bottom of the tank evacuated the water through the pipe planned for that purpose. The water was ceaselessly renewed.

It smelled of the sea.

Loveless gestured toward the tank. "I invite you to look at what's inside this tank… you will be very surprised, and that is an understatement."

Raising his hand, Artie said, "I know, you built a very big fish tank and put sharks inside, and you will feed them with us…"

Loveless shook his head, "No, but it's a good idea!"

Artie smiled. "Keep that idea for next time, because what you did plan for us, will fail, as all your former plans failed."

Loveless scowled. "This one won't."

The two agents moved toward the tank. Then, standing in front of a 'porthole', they could see, at the bottom of the tank, a group of black rocks forming a small underwater cave surrounded with swirling, long, colored algae… and in front of it, a mermaid, swimming gracefully in circles.

Jim and Artie were positively stunned.

Loveless rubbed his hands in glee. "Do you like my pet fish, gentlemen? It's an unusual one. Some fishermen caught her in their net a week ago, off the bay of San Francisco. When I heard that, I immediately bought off the fishermen and I paid them a fortune for that extraordinary creature… It's a mermaid, gentlemen, and it's not a fairytale! She's as real as you and I."

Eyes wide opened, gaping, completely dumbstruck, the two agents moved toward the tank, followed by Loveless and Peters. "She's lovely, isn't she?" the diminutive man said. "If you're wondering, she eats fish and all sort of algae. I keep them in the refrigeration room, but you probably saw them in there, as you were locked in it."

Completely and utterly enthralled, Jim and Artemus stared wide-eyed at a blond-haired mermaid, with a long sparkling-green fish tail. Iridescent scales covered her breasts.

Placing his palm on the 'glass porthole' Artemus leaned in, mumbling, "I thought mermaids didn't exist, that they were a myth, like… like the city of Atlantis."

Loveless chuckled. "That's funny, because she's from Atlantis, Mr. Gordon. She told me that. No, actually, she didn't. She can't talk, but can 'project' her thoughts in your mind. She learned to speak English following the boats and ships everywhere in the seas and oceans."

Smiling to the mermaid, swimming slowly toward them, a slight flush spreading across his high cheekbones Artemus said, "I can't believe my eyes… it's a mermaid! That's extraordinary… She looks like the figurehead of the Museum…She's gorgeous…"

Frowning, Jim said, "I'm sorry to break the magic of this moment, but I would like to know what this mermaid has to do with what you planned for Artie and me."

Loveless didn't answer straight away. He observed the mermaid reach out a hand and press her palm to the thick glass, on a level with Artemus's.

Grinning, still incredulous, Artie observed the webbed fingers mirroring his own and breathed, "Dear God… I still can't realize that it's a mermaid. A mermaid! "Then he thought. 'Can you hear me?'

[Yes, I can hear you,] she replied, her blue cat-like eyes sad. [You seem to be a good man, not like the little man. Release me, please.]

Feeling sorry, Artie shook his head. 'I'd like too but I can't – for now.' He smiled. 'But I'll find a way to free you, beautiful mermaid.'

She smiled broadly. [My name is Mira, what is your name?]

Moving closer to the tank, Artie smiled broadly too. 'My name is Artemus. Mira is a beautiful name… I'll help you, Mira, I promise. I will return you to the ocean. But I need time.'

She moved back as Loveless approached, despising the little man. "I see that you got acquainted with each other, it's perfect!" He snapped his fingers and said, "Peters! Bring me the weighted shackles." He gestured toward two henchmen. "You two, come here!"

Both Jim and Artie exchanged a worried look.

It didn't sound good.

The giant complied. He headed toward the work table and came back shortly after with a pair of fetters connected together by a chain. On each end of the chains, there was a heavy metal ball.

Loveless commanded again, "Remove your clothes, Mr. Gordon, all of them. Do it, or Mr. Peters here will play a little with your partner. He loves crushing bones, as you know."

Intrigued Artie frowned. "Why? Do you think I'm hiding some little gadgets of mine in my underwear? You searched me thoroughly."

Seeing the giant land his cold eyes on Jim like a raptor on its prey he complied, "Okay, okay." Cursing under his breath, he complied.

He made a pile of his clothes on the floor, and then he hid his gentleman parts with his hands. "Happy? Now what Loveless?"

Loveless looked up at his behemoth henchman. "Good! Peters, fasten the shackles around Mr. Gordon's ankles." He turned toward the two goons standing beside him. "Bring Mr. West toward the pillar there, the one with the embedded shackles and fasten them around his wrists." Seeing Jim recoil, he added, "Ah! Don't do anything you will regret, Mr. West. Mr. Peters here can break your partner's neck as easily as a twig."

Reluctantly, Jim followed Loveless's henchmen and let them fasten the shackles around his wrists. "And now what?" he repeated.

Looking down at the weights attached to his leg irons, Artie said, "If you want to be sure I didn't escape, that's made sure, I'm not going to go anywhere with that." He frowned, puzzled. "But I don't understand why you wanted me to be naked…"

Loveless smiled, with a shark smile. "Do you know the legend about mermaids finding people lost at sea, Mr. Gordon? I read lots of books about mermaids, and they all say the same thing."

Shaking his head, Artie said, "No, I'm sorry. I didn't read many fairytales when I was little boy, I preferred books about physics and chemistry. But I'm sure that you're going to tell me…"

Loveless moved closer to the tank, watching the mermaid as she swam away from him. "The legend says that when a mermaid finds a man lost at sea, drowned, she kisses him, placing him under a spell, and he becomes instantly a… male mermaid, a merman. It's magic!" He glanced at Peters. "Put the stepladder against the tank, Peters. Then you'll take Mr. Gordon…"

Peters obeyed and Artemus frowned, puzzled. "That's a nice story but I don't see…" The blood drained from his face completely and he realized what Loveless had planned for him – hence the shackles and the weights. Panic began to swell in his chest. "No! Don't do that! It's just a legend! I'm going to die!"

Loveless grinned. "Of course you're going to die." He purred. "You see Mr. Gordon, it's a win-win situation. If the legend is true, you will become a merman and you will have to live in the ocean, far from me and my business and thus stop being an inconvenience, and if it is wrong, you will die and I will also be rid of you. Mr. West will suffer the same fate in his turn, later. You're first. I'm saving your partner for last. I want him to watch you die. It will be torture…"

Horrified too, Jim said, "Don't do that!"

Loveless chuckled, an expression of wickedness on his face. "On the contrary. I look forward to seeing what is going to happen." He saw Peters place a solid metallic stepladder against the tank. "I'm very excited! It's time to say 'adieu' to your brotherly partner, Mr. Gordon or just 'à bientôt', we'll see."

Horrified too by what Loveless wanted to do: drown him, he moved back but he didn't go far, almost immobilized by the drags.

Closing his right hand in a tight fist, Artemus slammed it against Peter's chin – with no effect. The giant's head didn't move an inch.

Peters gripped Artie's chin, lifted his head and looked him in the eye. "Do that again, federal, and I will beat you to death."

Loveless shook his head. "Restrain yourself, Peters. I need him intact."

Peters grunted and took Artie, complete with the shackles, with the drags on his arms like if they weighed nothing, and headed toward the stepladder.

Panicked, Artie struggled to free himself of Peters's hold, but there was nothing he could do. It was like being caught in a giant vice.

Desperate, the lump in his throat steadily growing bigger, Jim pulled with all his might on the chains embedded in the pillar, scratching his wrists with the manacles, trying to get free, trying to stop his best friend's death. "Stop it Loveless!" His blood boiled in his veins. Artie was going to drown. "Stop it now!"

Once on top of the stepladder, holding Artemus and his heavy restraints, the giant awaited his orders. "I'm ready, Doctor."

Loveless looked at Jim who was pale like a ghost, filled with horror. A manic grin spread across his face, taking delight in the agent's reaction. "Watch this, Mr. West; it's going to be an extraordinary show… Peters, do it! Drop Mr. Gordon into the tank!"

Peters dropped Artemus into the tank – and he immediately sank to the bottom like a stone. Panicked, he started kicking hard and squirmed desperately, trying to free himself from the shackles, in vain. He couldn't breathe. His chest was constricting, his lungs were burning with lack of oxygen.

He hit the bottom of the tank. He continued his struggle, his arms were flailing helplessly as he tried to swim toward the surface, despite his heavy restraints pinning him there, with a primal urge to survive.

His body screamed for oxygen.

His head became fuzzy and his vision grayed, darkened.

His body stopped fighting.

Instead of air, water flooded Artie's lungs.

He couldn't breathe.

The last thing he saw was Jim's face on the safe side of the 'porthole' eyes wide in horror and screaming, but couldn't hear him.

His last coherent thought was, 'I'm coming dad…'

He fell into oblivion.

Loveless clapped his hands in glee, cackling, like a delighted child with a new toy. "What do you think, Mr. West? Will your drowned partner become a merman, or a just corpse? I bet he'll be saved by the mermaid… If she exists, the legend is probably true… Let's see."

Unresponsive, Artemus sank deeper into the water, mouth opened, chocolate eyes half closed and lifeless, while the last of his breath bubbled up out of his nose and mouth, spiraling up to the surface.

Mira used her fish tail to propel herself forward and she swam toward Artemus, and didn't hesitate a single second.

She caught the terrified human by his shoulders and pressed her lips against his.

Immediately there was a bright flash of white light and Artemus's legs vanished – replaced by the long iridescent silvery-blue fish tail of a merman.

Immediately Artemus glanced at his lower half, eyes wide and his jaw hanging open. His legs had vanished, replaced by a fish tail. "How?" he mouthed.

The mermaid placed a finger on her lips. [You were dead, drowned. I saved your life by kissing you. Now you're not human any more, but a male of my kind, Artemus.] Then she kissed Artemus again, possessively. [I saved your life, you're my companion, my mate, now.]

Feeling lost and distressed not to be a human anymore, but relieved to be still alive, Artemus nodded, sadly. [Yes I am… ] He looked at Jim through a 'port' in the tank, his former companion. His best friend was stunned. [Oh God! Jim!]

Loveless was grinning beatifically.

WWW

More than stunned, Jim stared wide-eyed, at his partner's new body: Artemus had (more) broad shoulders and a narrow waist, that now merged into a long mermaid tail ending with wide dark blue fins where his legs should be. He had three slits on each side of his neck: gills, moving slightly. He had webbed hands, blue eyes with split pupils like a cat's, pointy ears and long, curly, dark hair floating around his muscular back, and to finish, his skin was now tinged with a light blue color.

Merman Artemus was absolutely stunning!

"That's… that's… huh!" He pinched his arm, hard and winced. No, he wasn't dreaming, or hallucinating. It was real. "Dear god, Artie!" he let out, his eyes still wide, but in awe. "Wow!"

Loveless was jumping with intense glee. "Mermaids, mere-people don't exist only in books! He's a merman! He's a merman! I was right! The legend's true!"

The two mere-people began their swim together, moving just below the surface of the water, holding hands, bubbles floating up from their gills, Jim and Loveless watching them, amazed.

But after a couple of minutes, Loveless moved back, in alarm as he saw merman-Artie, looking furious, swimming toward the stepladder at top speed, with powerful sweeps of his tail. He said, "He's a merman, but he's still Artemus Gordon!" He added, "Peters! Stop him!"

Once on the edge of the tank, Artemus jumped out of the water, landing on the platform of the stepladder… and his fish tail vanished in a bright white light.

His legs re-appeared like the mermaid had told him, he thought… just before hitting the giant square in the face, with inhuman strength and with rage.

Peters fell over backward and collapsed to the ground heavily. One of Loveless's henchmen pulled out his gun and fired at Artemus.

He missed him.

Artie was down the stepladder in a flash and grabbed Peters's Colt. He aimed at the two burly goons and fired and didn't miss.

The two men crumpled to the ground, a bullet in their shoulder each.

Naked, his legs and feet covered with gleaming silvery-blue scales, gun smoldering, his face like carved marble, Artemus moved toward Loveless who had retreated behind his work table. "Mira told me that humans turned into mermen have the faculty to talk and above all they can walk again with their legs, once out of the seawater…" He said, gills flaring, in a strange raspy non-human baritone.

Suddenly he grimaced as he started to suffocate. He grabbed his own throat, making a weak whimpering sound, his face turning dark blue.

Loveless nodded, smirking. "Yes, but what she forgot to tell you, is that your body changed drastically inside, Mr. Gordon – and outside. You know have gills on each side of your neck…" and saw Artie automatically move his fingertips to the slits on his neck. "You can't breathe air like a human being anymore for long, literally like a fish out of water… what you currently are, now."

Merman Artie's vision swam, and dark spots materialized in front of his eyes. He sank to the floor on one knee accompanied with hitching gasps, choking.

Unable to breathe the oxygen in the air anymore, Artemus dropped his gun and stoodand, swaying, he headed back toward the tank.

He collapsed beside Peters, who was still passed out, and seized the opportunity to quietly take knife out of the man's left boot, and then he climbed onto the stepladder.

He reached the edge of it, out of breath, on the verge of losing consciousness and then tumbled forward. Once in the water, his legs were instantly replaced by a dazzling silvery-blue fish tail.

Mira brought Artemus in her arms and they swam together, tails flicking, toward the bottom of the tank and entered the small cave.

Loveless chuckled. "They make a lovely couple… my first intention was to release you in the port of San Francisco, but I have changed my mind. I'm going to keep you here, for my pleasure. Watching fish swimming in a tank is so relaxing…" He glanced at his two injured men who had managed to stand. "Find a doctor and come back here as soon as possible!" Then he watched Artie the merman swimming at the bottom of the tank. "Mr. Gordon won't make his little stunt again, now that he knows how a fish out of water feels…" He yawned and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "It's late, I need some rest. You will suffer the same fate as your partner, tomorrow, Mr. West." He rubbed his hands in glee. "Tomorrow, James T. West and Artemus Gordon will cease to bother me, definitively, and I'll be the only one on the surface of this planet to have the two ex-best secret services agents of the US, as goldfish, as pets." He headed toward the door, adding, "Tomorrow I'll find a large net to place on top of the tank, forbidding any wandering out of it. Good night."

Peters regained consciousness a few minutes later, cursing under his breath. He left, his broad shoulders hunched, upset at having been knocked out by a man-fish.

WWW

 _Later_

Jim woke feeling a wet hand on his face and gasped. Artemus, still naked and dripping, was kneeling beside him, touching his cheek, holding a knife. "Artie!"

Frowning Artemus said, "I'm going to free you of those shackles, Jim." He started to pick the lock with the knifepoint.

His voice had changed, being raspy because of the gills on his neck which opened and shut at top speed, Jim realized.

Hearing Artie's labored breath, Jim shook his head. "Artie, you're going to die! Go back to the tank. Forget about it!"

Feeling dizzy, his breathing shallow, Artie shook his drenched head and continued what he was doing. "No, I don't want you to be a merman like me, and I want you to stop Loveless. You have to leave before Peters realizes he no longer has his knife."

There was a click, and Artie removed one fetter. Jim immediately grabbed the knife from his partner's hand. "Go back to the tank, Artie, now! You have gills! It means you need water to breathe…You can't stay out of the water any longer! You're going to die."

But Artie was too weak already, gasping for air, his whole body spasming and dark blue colored. He fell completely limp on the floor, fighting for breath. "I… can't go back to the tank. It's too late. I'm dying… go 'way Jim… see you one day on the oth'r saide. Take y'r time…"

Jim felt a surge of fear tighten his chest like in a vice. "No! No, it's not too late. Go back to the tank, Artie, you can do it!"

Merman Artie shook his head, his breath weak and barely there.

He closed his eyes and there was another flash of bright white light enveloping Artie… and the glittering silvery-blue scales vanished from Artie's legs and feet. His buff upper body, the thin membrane between his fingers, his gills vanished too as well as his, pointy ears, his blue cat-like eyes, his long hair and the light blue color of his skin.

He was a human being again – pale, immobile, and he wasn't breathing.

Immediately Jim moved his hands to bend Artemus's head back, opening up the airway, and leaned down. He began the cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique Artemus had taught him and that he called CPR, that he had used on his best friend the last time he had drowned, in the Mississippi River. He pinched Artie's nose closed and covering the other man's blue lips with his own, blew air into his partner's lungs, watching his chest rise slowly. He checked for a pulse. Nothing.

Artemus still wasn't breathing on his own.

He laced his fingers and lining them up over the sternum; he began the chest compressions, trying to fight down his panic.

Artie couldn't die. "Please, God. Please, not Artemus, let him live," Jim said.

He alternated between the artificial breathing and the chest compressions, and, after two minutes, He heard something cracking, but didn't stop. Finally, Artie jerked and coughed, painfully, with rattling deep down in his chest, gasping, pulling fresh air into his lungs. Feeling immensely relieved, Jim sat back, staring at his very naked partner, breathing heavily.

Hearing a hammer being cocked, he lifted his eyes and saw Peters towering above him, gun in hand. He raised his free hand.

Loveless moved forward, in his pajamas, robe and slippers. He was irritated. "Fortunately Mr. Peters noticed that his knife was missing and woke me…" He looked up at the giant. "Put Mr. Gordon in the tank again, and be sure he doesn't resist."

Peters grabbed Artie's arm and pulled him to his feet, roughly. Then, he lowered the butt of his gun to his head, and hit. Artie passed out.

Peters threw him over his shoulder, like a sack of potatoes and headed toward the tank. Jim hurried to unlock his other fetter with the knifepoint.

His heart pounding in his chest, he watched the mountain- -like built man drop Artemus in the water… and his best friend sink, slowly, unmoving, swallowing water. Drowning again.

Mira swam toward Artemus and kissed him. There was a new flash of bright white light and in the blink of an eye Artie wasn't human anymore, but a merman.

Loveless beamed. "My Gordon-blue fish is back to his tank," he said, before Peters joined him. "You failed, Mr. West; and I won."

Peters grabbed his knife. "That's mine," he growled. Then pushed Jim backward against the pillar like he was a mere fly, and closed the fetters on his wrists again.

Mira leaned Artie against the wall of the tank – and gently stroked his jawline, waiting for him to regain consciousness.

Loveless placed his hands in the pockets of his robe, satisfied. "Bravo Peters. Now I can go back to my bed and sleep peacefully." He snapped his fingers and another henchman stepped forward. "You will stay here. Mr. Gordon will try again to do something; he's stubborn and resilient and will do anything to save his brother-like partner from his fate." He pointed at Jim and added, his voice cold, "If he leaves his tank again, don't hesitate to put a bullet in Mr. West leg. He will think twice before trying again."

The man nodded. "Yes, Doctor."

Loveless smiled. "Good." Glancing at Jim he added, "Again, good night. I hope for you, that your friend won't do anything." Then he headed toward the door, Peters in tow.

WWW

 _Later_

Looking through a 'porthole 'at the guard standing beside Jim, gun in hand, Artie got an idea. It was dangerous, but he had to save Jim.

He had to flee the tank and Loveless with Mira.

He surfaced and started to jump out of the water, like a dolphin.

It was so easy that Artie was amazed at first. It was as if he had done it all his life, and he loved that. But he had a goal… or a target.

He took a 'run-up', swimming at full speed, his powerful tail moving up and down, as fast as he could and jumped very high in the air. He changed into a silvery-blue-scaled humanoid form mid-jump and flew up at Loveless's henchman.

He crashed on him. Hard. The henchman was knocked out by the impact.

The merman stood, his whole body aching, but still in one piece and he grinned, proud of himself. "I did it!" Artie said. "I thought I was going to end up with all my bones broken, but no!"

Sincerely impressed Jim exclaimed, "Very nice! A dolphin wouldn't have done better!" he beamed. "That was amazing, buddy!" he commented, before taking the man's knife from his belt. "Go back to the tank, Artie. You almost died twice already. I'll come back here with all the police of San Francisco."

Smiling Artie placed a webbed-hand on Jim's shoulder. "No, I have a way to escape. The tube bringing water to the tank is somehow connected to the ocean, and it's large enough for me and Mira to take it." He took the knife's Jim was holding. "I'll need that." He smiled reassuringly seeing that Jim was worried. "Stop worrying Jim. Everything is going to be fine. Do you remember that beach, where we captured those counterfeiters a month ago? Meet me there tomorrow, at mid-day."

Jim nodded. "Okay. Be careful, Artie."

Starting to choke, because of being out of water, Artie rushed toward the tank and quickly submerged himself in the water, while Jim sprinted in the opposite direction, holding the gun.

WWW

 _The next day_

It was mid-day when Jim reached the place of the rendezvous. Fortunately the beach was empty. He dismounted his horse, and walked across the sand toward the breaking waves.

He looked at the horizon and suddenly heard a splash, saw a glint, a flash of scales, and he spotted a large iridescent silvery-blue tail flashing in the sun. "Artie!"

He smiled and let out a long sigh of relief. Artie was free and was coming to meet him.

He removed his boots and socks and moved toward Artemus. The merman was diving and jumping out of the water like a dolphin, at top speed.

Finally, Artie surfaced beside Jim, immerged up to his waist. "Hiya, Jim. Please tell me that you have some good news."

Jim shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, Artie. When I came back to the hideout with the police, Loveless and his henchmen were gone. We'll catch him another time." He smiled. "I never had time to tell you this before, but you take to the whole merman thing very well."

Looking behind him, at the vastness of the ocean, Artie nodded. "Ya, I know. But after Loveless changed me into a woman, I'm not surprised about anything." He smiled and very excited, he added, "I said goodbye to Mira off the bay of San Francisco… She was very disappointed to say the least. She considered me as her own, as her mate. She wanted me to come with her, to Atlantis, the fabulous city of ATLANTIS!... Oh boy! I was very tempted! Atlantis! But I said no." He sank under water to breathe, for a few seconds, and then he emerged. "My life isn't there, but here… Then I headed here and that was fan-tas-tic, Jim! Swimming through schools of fish was great! I even played hide and seek with dolphins in fields, no, forests, of kelp! And they won, of course." He suddenly spotted troopers around a buckboard. There was a big tub on the platform, he noticed. His enthusiasm plummeted, his scaly tail twitching nervously. "I'm not going in that thing, Jim, NO. I'm not a fish you find in water and put in a tank. I prefer to end my life as a merman that being prisoner of a tank, like I was in Loveless's. I'm not a goldfish. It's a firm no, again." And irritated, he accidently splashed Jim with his widely-fanned blue tail. He took a calming breath. "Sorry."

He was very tempted to swim away.

Dripping water, very embarrassed Jim said, "It's okay. The only way to be you again, is to die, Artie. I brought you back once, but you couldn't survive a second time. I had to tell the whole thing to the President. By the way, he's here in San Francisco, for a meeting with the Governor of California. The President ordered me to bring you back to Washington, on board the Wanderer. It's just temporary, until we find a place for you…"

His face closing, Artie frowned. "A place? Like what? A tank hidden somewhere, behind closed doors? No. I prefer try my luck…"

He swam toward the beach… before walking on the golden sand, water streaming off him. Jim followed Artie less rapidly and joined him on the beach.

Placing a hand on Artie's shoulder, Jim said, "You're going to die Artie."

Looking at his webbed hands Artie nodded. "I know. Let me die, please, don't put me back in the water. Bring me back again, Jim. And if you can't… so be it."

He started to choke.

WWW

 _San Francisco Hospital_

 _Much later_

Hearing scrambled voices, Artemus opened his eyes, slowly – His head was pounding, his mouth was dry as cotton balls. He realized that he was alive, smiled weakly and slurred, "'M 'live'."

Leaning toward his best friend, Jim said, "Yes, you are Artie. I brought you back, again. You need to rest, go back to sleep. Everything's okay."

His vision blurred, Artie saw large patches of black and felt someone with strong, square hands, take his hand in his. He could smell strong tobacco, cigars. He knew that smell. "Mr. Pre'dent?"

Ulysses S. Grant smiled. "Yes, I'm here, Artemus. You're going to be alright. Dr. Henderson is going to take care of you. Now go back to sleep."

Closing his tired eyes, Artie mumbled, "Y's 'ir," then a couple of seconds later, he was sleeping again, mouth half-opened.

Grant placed Artie's hand on his chest and shook his head, still amazed by what happened. "Someday, someone should write your missions in a book and it would be a best-seller." He looked at Stephen Henderson standing next to the door. The physician & surgeon's face was grim. "Stephen? What is it?" He frowned in worry. "You told me that Artemus will be all right, remember?"

Dr. Henderson, who, as the President's personal physician accompanied Grant wherever he went, nodded and said, "Yes Sir. But I'm worried about Artemus's heart. It's not the first time Jim brought him back using that so called cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique or CPR and very efficient technique… and each time, Artemus's heart was strained. I'm afraid that one day, it won't start beating again, definitively, too much weakened."

Grant frowned. "Are you telling me that Artemus is unfit to continue his job in the Secret Services, Stephen? That he should retire?"

Horrified at that idea, Jim blanched. "No! I can't lose Artie!"

Henderson sighed. "I don't say it will happen, I just say it's a possibility. For now, Artemus Gordon is fit for duty, Mr. President. Well, not for the next two weeks. He needs rest."

Grant sighed in relief – and Jim copied him. "Good, good, I prefer. Jim, that you will take care of your partner for the coming two weeks."

Smiling, Jim nodded. "Yes Sir. I'm going to bring Artie to a safe place. No Loveless, no mermaid, nothing, just peace and tranquility: a family cabin on the Mississippi not far from Galena. I can assure you that he'll do nothing but sleep, eat, drink coffee, smoke cigars and go fishing."

Grant nodded. "Three weeks then."

WWW

 _Five days later,_

 _Green Hill, Illinois,_

 _Gordon's family house_

Helena Gordon poured herself a cup of mint tea and took her place in an armchair on the porch. "If I could put my hands on that twisted little man…" she said, her eyes darkening with anger.

Sitting in another armchair, Harry puffed on his cigar. "I wouldn't like to be in his place…" and he winked at Artie, slouched on a couch.

Petting White Socks, sprawled on his lap, on her back, Artie smiled around his cigar. "Perhaps it's the solution to getting rid of Loveless. Lock them together in a room. Loveless wouldn't stand five minutes in front of my mother; she would make pâté out of him."

Helena smiled, pleased. "Thank you, Artemus."

Harry chuckled, and then serious he asked, "You were really a mermaid? With a fish tail and scales? I'd love to see that."

Stroking the cat on his furred belly, eliciting loud purrs, Artie rolled his eyes. "I'm male, Harry, in case you hadn't noticed, yet. I was a mer-man, Harry, not mer-maid. The last time I checked I wasn't a woman."

Sitting on a third armchair, holding a cigar, Jim giggled. "I can confirm he's male, Harry. I saw him naked each time he 'de-fished'…"

Helena giggled and took a sip of mint tea. 'De-fished? I like it. I just can't believe my son was a mermaid, I mean a merman. You had to be very beautiful, Artemus."

Jim nodded. "Oh, he was, Helena. Mira found him handsome and wanted him as her mate. His scales were beautiful…iridescent silver-blue, very shiny, glittering in the light… He had pointy ears, gills on each side of his neck, his skin was lit-up light blue, and he had gained muscles and had long hair too."

Creasing his brow, his face somber, Artie said, "I didn't care about my new body and appearance at that time. I was focused on one thing only: I wanted to save Jim. Loveless had planned to make a merman of him too and to keep Mira, Jim and me like pet fish, swimming in his tank." He sighed. "And I died, three times, and it's not a pleasant memory – at all."

Helena stood and kissed her son's dark, curled hair soothingly and Artie pressed her hand in his in response, tenderly. "But you came back, Artemus, you always come back, thanks to Jim." She looked at Jim, fondly. "And I cannot thank him enough for that…" She smiled and added, "He had long hair when he was a teenager, you know. It's too bad I don't have any photographs of him in those days."

Playing with White Socks's tail, Artie nodded, following his mother on the same subject, putting bad memories aside. "I remember Lily's mother. She always told me to cut my hair each time I saw her daughter. Oh I met her, a couple of months ago, and Lily too…"

Helena nodded. "We know, you proposed her and she said no. She's not the one, my boy. One day you'll find someone perfect for you."

Lulled by the cat's loud purrs, Artie closed his eyes. "Yes, a brunette with blue eyes… We'll leave tomorrow for the cabin . I intend to do nothing but fishing for the next week – and the basics, eating, drinking and sleeping. Just peace and tranquility."

Harry nodded. "Everything's ready in the cabin. I brought the fishing equipment there, provisions, and everything needed to 'camp out' there, lanterns, sheets and blankets for the beds, logs for the fire, a box of matches, etc. the canoe is in good state. Everything is ready to welcome you."

Artie smiled. "Thank you, Harry. I'll bring a few books too… I'd like to read fairytales books… especially those about mermaids…"

WWW

 _ **Reality,**_

 _ **much later, in a cellar**_

Hearing a moan, Jim moved away from the door and knelt beside Artie. The older man was very pale and weak, slumped in an angle of the room. He took Artie's hand in his. He could see that his partner was coming to when his eyes started to flutter. "Artie, open your eyes."

Opening his eyes slowly, Artie groaned and slurred, "No, not here Jim… not a good place for fishing… you need to spot the whirls around the rocks…"

His brow furrowed in worry, Jim gently tapped his best friend's strained and pale face, covered in a fine layer of sweat. "Artie! Wake up buddy!"

Moving a hand to the side of his head, in slow motion, Artie winced when his fingertips met a bandage. "Ow! Wha' hapn'd?" he closed his eyes and let his hand drop limply.

Cupping Aremus's face, Jim used his other hand to shake his arm. "Artie! Stay awake!" and the older man opened his eyes again, shadowed and unfocused. "How are you feeling?"

Blinking slowly, tiredly, Artie replied, "Not good." He glanced at his legs and frowned, puzzled. "Where's my fish tail? It's silvery-blue, iridescent, shiny…"

Surprised Jim lifted his eyebrows. "Fish tail?... You have a concussion Artemus. You're imagining things. You're not a mermaid, buddy."

Squeezing his eyes shut again Artemus breathed, "Can't see it when I'm out of water… Mira's gone you know? On her way to Atlantis…" He let out a loud, ragged gasp. His head was throbbing. He looked around him in confusion. "This is not my parents' home…" He grabbed his bandaged head with his hands, grunting. "I need Harry's help… Ow! Where's Harry?"

Suddenly the door of the empty cellar serving as a cell opened and the massive form of Peters entered the room, holding a gun.

He was preceding Dr. Miguelito Loveless, holding his blow gun and two darts.

Standing, Jim placed himself in front of Artemus in order to protect him, muscles tautened, jaw gritted, ready to fight.

Loveless chuckled. "This will be the last time you protect your partner, Mr. West. You will both be dead in a short time."

Tbc.


	3. Act Two

**THE NIGHT OF THE MERMAID**

 **By Andamogirl**

WWW

 **ACT TWO**

 _On board the fish boat Neptune, at sunset_

Jim woke up first. He immediately registered that he could barely move. His arms were bound behind him with what felt like a rope tied up around his wrists. His ankles were immobilized too, and his knees were touching his chest.

He was seated in the bottom of a big wooden box with several rows of holes on each side, and Artemus was seated beside him, restrained too, and still sleeping and snoring.

He was still very pale and his features were strained.

The box wasn't closed with a lid so he could see the big blue sky and... Seagulls riding the wind above them and a sail billowing. They were on a boat, that's why the box was swaying.

Peters suddenly entered his field of vision, a grin on his massive scarred face. "I hope you're comfortable," he said then he laughed.

Miguelito Loveless appeared in his turn and leaned on the edge of the box, grinning, very pleased with himself. "I hope you're not seasick, the ocean is a little restless tonight."

Feeling a bit seasick, Jim said, "Let me guess, once the box is closed with a lid, you will – I mean Peters here, will throw it overboard, and it will sink to the bottom of the ocean. That's clever, but I'm very disappointed in you, Loveless. I was hoping for something more creative, a more elaborate way to to kill us… but this! … This is unworthy of your talent."

Loveless grimaced. "I know, but the simplest things are sometimes the best. I told you that you would die slowly, and painfully, so I'll keep my promise. But I appreciate the compliment, Mr. West."

Finally, Artemus woke up in his turn. Everything was blurry, hazy. "Jim…" he murmured. He wanted to touch his head, itching, where… where someone, he didn't remember who exactly, had slammed a gun into it. But he couldn't move. "Huh?" Then the world started spinning around him. "Oooh…" he closed his eyes again and took a few deep breaths.

Glancing at his best friend, frowning in worry, Jim asked, "You okay Artie?"

Moaning, Artie shook his head.

Loveless snapped his fingers and one of his henchmen joined him, holding the lid of the box, a hammer and a fistful of nails. "It's time to say farewell, gentlemen." He looked down at Artie, appearing ghastly, who looked at him, his eyes bleary. "Adieu."

Looking up at Loveless, Jim shook his head, "Au revoir, is more appropriate, because we'll come back and arrest you."

Loveless chuckled. "Impossible. It will be dark in a few minutes and no boat will see you. No one will save you at the bottom of the sea… except maybe a mermaid ... but they don't exist." He nodded. "Close the lid! And put plenty of nails in."

Immediately, the henchman moved closer to the big box… and accidentally dropped his nails into it. He leaned in and the knife, he had tucked into his belt, fell between Jim's and Artemus's feet – and he didn't notice it, being too busy gathering up the nails. Jim slid his left feet over it, discreetly.

Once the lid was nailed down, the two men found themselves cramped in semi darkness. They heard Loveless command, "Throw them overboard!"

WWW

 _Later, at night_

The box was rapidly filling with water.

Inside, Jim contorted himself in such way that he was not seated next to Artemus any more but was in front of him, and he was thus able to grab the knife.

He began to cut the rope restraining Artie's wrists. "It shouldn't be long…" and the box suddenly sank a little more into the water, tilting on the right-hand side. He heard Artie hiss. "I'm sorry if I hurt you buddy, but it's not easy to do this in complete darkness while being shaken by waves."

Finally, Artie's bloodied wrists were freed.

The older man immediately took the knife and, finding Jim"s wrists, he started to cut the ropes, slowly. "Not feeling well, y'know…head, hurts, sick." He squeezed his eyes shut before he could be sick and focused on cutting the ropes, swallowing. "Almost there," he rasped between clenched teeth.

Shortly after, Jim and Artie knelt in the box. The cold water inside the box was already sloshing around their waists.

They pushed on the nailed lid with all their might, water level with their collarbones, and the lid lifted itself up little by little.

Gritting their teeth they pushed, muscles tensed, and they thrust as hard as they could.

The lid was half opened now.

It was about time because the seawater was lapping at their chins. One last effort and the lid fell to the side, floating away.

The two men swam away from the box and the water rushed up around them, enveloping them, cold and biting, waterlogging their clothes.

The cold sank into their muscles, turning their bodies into stones.

His teeth chattering, tossed by the waves like his companion, Artie asked, "And now?" He gagged up a lungful of icy seawater and started vomiting.

Rubbing at Artie's back soothingly, Jim looked around him in an automatic gesture, even if he couldn't see anything.

The night was pitch dark, the stars hidden by clouds. The rain, like the seawater, were icy-cold, the ocean was rough and the chilled wind was gusting.

"I don't know," he replied. He took a shaking breath. "But you're the one who always has good ideas in our duo, Artie. Think buddy!"

Treading water beside Jim, touching him from time to time to stay with him, Artie said, "One thing only comes to mind right now, we're going to die by drowning." Then a big wave washed over his head, the undertow dragging him down. He kicked out, his legs propelling him to the surface. "But I think we're going to die from hypothermia before that in this ice-cold, salty darkness…"

He kicked at the water again, doing his best to stay afloat, his numbing arms and legs responding sluggishly to his commands.

Removing his shirt, feeling for limbs in the darkness, Jim grabbed Artie's arm. He attached one sleeve to Artie's belt and the other sleeve to his own belt. "We have to stay together…" he said, as he bobbed up and down. "We have survived worst situations Artie… we'll survive this one too. That knife was a sign Artie… Without that knife, we'd be dead by now, drowned in that box." His head sank under the water again. He surfaced with a sputter, lungs and eyes burning. His whole body was shaking. "We'll survive," he repeated, fighting the aching numbness where his body was. We have to survive until tomorrow morning. A boat will doubtless see us and we shall be saved, Artie."

Feeling his body turning into a giant block of ice, Artie mumbled, "'Not sure I c-can r-resist… t-that long, c-concussed and weak. I can't feel anything… so c-cold…" Exhaustion dragged at him.

He vanished beneath the waves once more, sucking in a lungful of water. He again surfaced and retched without actually throwing up. His stomach was empty.

He kicked his weakening legs, struggling to keep himself on the surface, his head above water, gasping for air, but it was harder and harder to surface each time he was sucked under.

He barely had time to inhale again before another wave crashed over his head, the swirling undertow dragging him back down.

He gave another weak kick, straining to fight, but he could not swim anymore. He was too cold, too, exhausted. Everything hurt, his head, his limbs, his throat and his eyes, burnt by salt.

He wouldn't make it, he realized blankly, far too exhausted to panic or to be afraid to die. He had just enough energy to rasp, "Jim, you're younger, stronger, you're not h-hurt. You'll s-survive. N-not me. Be-before it's t-too late, I want you t-to k-know, it was an honor and a…"

Jim let out bear-like groan then said, with authority, "Shut up Artie! You're not going to die! Neither of us is going to die, not for a long, long, time. You must fight, Artie! You fight or you die! You don't have a choice! Understood? Fight buddy! Fight!"

Feeling his whole body weakening, growing fainter by the minute, Artie nodded with a faint smile. "'K-k-ay, fighting," he said blankly, teeth chattering so hard that it hurt. He closed his eyes, far too tired to keep them open anymore, awaiting his final fate. "I'm sorry Jim, I can't fight anymore' was his last thought. He stopped treading water.

Water started filling his mouth, and his throat, and his lungs.

He slowly sank into the dark depths below.

Feeling guilty, Jim said, "I'm sorry, Artie. I would not have snapped at y'… "and stopped when he felt himself being dragged underwater.

By a sinking, drowning Artie, he realized with horror. A wave hit him square in the face. He propelled himself down, as he sank further away.

WWW

Panicked Jim began searching frantically for his best friend feeling for limbs in the darkness. He caught Artie's body in his arms and struggled against the waves to get to the surface as quickly as possible, using his last reserves of energy. Kicking at the water, hard, he pulled Artemus and himself through the swirls.

He maneuvered behind Artemus and slung his left arm around the other man's chest, using his hand to tilt Artie's head back and push up the other man's chin. He used his legs and right arm to keep them on the surface of the black water, rolling in time with the waves.

He called anxiously. "Artie! Artie!" but didn't get any response.

He looked around him desperately, pumping his legs furiously, trying to see a light, somewhere. But it was pitch black. He struggled to keep Artemus and himself afloat.

He shook his best friend's lifeless arm, "Artie! Wake up!" Nothing. Artie's head rolled loosely against his arm, but he didn't move of his own will. He stayed unresponsive.

Jim felt for Artie's breath, there was none. He touched his neck, but found no pulse there. He was dead, he realized as his lips began to tremble. "No! You can't die!" He choked out a sob and shook Artie's limp arm. "Don't die on me Artie!'

He didn't notice a splash, close by.

He suddenly gasped, feeling something touch his ankle.

He froze, terrified. A shark? He remembered that he had sliced Artie's wrists accidentally when cutting the rope binding them.

Blood attracted sharks.

Panic coming back full force, he kicked automatically, madly, imagining wide jaws covered with long, sharp, teeth closing around his legs – and the shark devouring him.

He was trembling with fear when he heard a smacking splash and he yelled when he felt fingers touch his right leg and he was still yelling when he felt a hand close around his knee.

He went silent gradually, thinking: what? Wait a minute? Fingers? A hand? What? He thought, dumbfounded. He progressively calmed down, and gasped in surprise when fingertips touched his shoulder, pressing it, brushing his face, gently, reassuringly.

Then a creature emerged from the watery darkness, and he met two – non human – iridescent green eyes with split pupils like a cat's and recoiled. He caught a glimpse of a dark tail flicking out at the surface before disappearing into the water _._

 _He blinked twice. "Impossible," he let out, as he couldn't hardly believe his eyes._

He stared at the legendary aquatic creature, starry-eyed. It couldn't be real. Mermaids were a myth, like dragons and unicorns.

He let out in wonder, "A mermaid!"

He was hallucinating because of hypothermia, yes; it was the only reasonable and logical explanation he thought, not paying attention to the cold water slapping at his face. Mermaids didn't exist! He mused, the salt burning his eyes.

He felt Artemus being pulled away from him by the sea-creature. She was smiling, revealing pointy teeth. He immediately reached out and touched… an arm covered with large fish-scales, incredibly slippery. 'Do mermaids eat people? He thought. He suddenly remembered an old sailor in the port of San Francisco, in a bar, telling stories about mermaids who liked drowning seamen for pleasure and devouring them after that. "No! No! Don't take him!" but the mermaid embraced the drowned Artemus, keeping him against her as she beat her tail rapidly, fighting against the strong currents.

Keeping himself on the surface the best he could, treading water, Jim noticed a green light, coming out from a pendant around the mermaid's scaled neck.

He could see then that she was wearing some kind of brassiere made with braided algae decorated with round and cone-shaped shells covering her breasts…He could see her long dark hair, her pointy ears, the gills on the side of her gracile neck. She had fin-like appendages coming out from her forearms.

The mermaid turned her emerald green eyes toward Jim and smiled. Once again Jim saw the sharp teeth and he flinched. Jim's breath hitched.

[Don't be afraid. Mermaids don't eat people. I'm not going to hurt him, but save him. He will live again,] the mermaid 'said', in English, in his head.

Then she kissed Artie's cold, blue, lips and the green light brightened, beginning extremely bright, and Jim went blind temporarily.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds, and when he opened them, he could see that the light had abated and he could see too, Artemus begin to stir, opening his eyes…

He beamed with unadulterated joy. Artie was alive! again. "Artemus! You're alive!"

Getting over his initial shock - he was alive, again, and was looking at a mermaid! A real one! Who had brought him back to life and was holding him against her! – Artie couldn't help but kiss the mermaid back, showing her his gratitude, as she was holding him in her arms, keeping him afloat.

Pulling from the kiss, the mermaid glanced at Jim, and then stroked Artemus's jawline. [Give me your hand; I'm going to bring you ashore. There's an island not far off]," she said.

WWW

 _Much later, on a beach_

Opening his eyes, Jim was surprised to find himself plastered against Artemus's front. Artie was lying flat on his back, on a layer on dark gray sand, still asleep.

Holding him.

He smiled fondly. Artie had kept them warm that way. "Good old Artie…"

He disentangled himself from Artie's octopus-like embrace and warmth and regretted it instantly, feeling the chilly wet, and salty, harsh wind causing gooseflesh to start on his exposed chest.

Moaning, Artemus whispered, "'maid," rolled to the side and shivered before drifting back into sleep, his cheek against the cold sand.

Smiling, Jim hauled himself up and propped himself into a sitting position and immediately rubbed his itching scalp making sand fall into his lap.

He untied the sleeve of his now dry shirt from his belt and put it on, feeling a bit less cold.

He glanced around him, taking in his surroundings.

It was dawn but the sun was hidden behind heavy banks of big dark clouds. The beach was small, with rough sand, barely hospitable, nestled in a cove that formed a perfect half curve. It was surrounded by clusters of jagged dark gray rocks and closed off by a vertical, serrated cliff.

Jim felt something in his hand and opened it – finding a round, cone-shaped green shell. He suddenly remembered the mermaid giving one to him and one to Artie after they reached the seashore, telling them, "Keep it, it will grant you the protection of the seas and oceans", and then she had swum away into the ocean and vanished in the darkness. "What did she mean by that?"

He smiled broadly, still amazed. A mermaid had resurrected Artie with a 'magical' kiss, and then had brought them here, to an island, saving their lives. He thought. Mermaids were not a myth, they were real! "Nobody would ever believe it!" he said, amazed.

He placed his precious gift on a flat rock and stood. He grunted as his whole body was sore. With numb legs, he headed toward the breaking waves, crashing loudly on layers of all-shades-of-gray pebbles and various seashells.

The water was clear and blue and foamy-white around the rocks.

He stared at the empty horizon… and, on the left, he spotted a large group of seals lying on black sand among large rocks that led out to the water.

He picked up one of the pebbles by his feet and tossed it toward the waves. He frowned. "Where the hell are we?" he asked.

Only the noise of the ocean and the screams of the seagulls answered him.

He came back beside his best friend, knelt on the rough sand, and finally noticed that his bandage was gone, and was probably floating somewhere on the surface of the ocean now.

He glanced at Artie's face and finally noticed it was intact: there was no swollen eye, no bruised cheekbone, no split lower lip. Then he observed Artie's scalp where Loveless had shaved a patch of hair to be able to stitch the cut… and saw nothing. The stitched cut was gone. "The mermaid has resuscitated him and healed him too," he said. Then he shook his arm. "Wake up, buddy! Wake up!"

Moaning, Artemus rolled onto his other side, pillowing his head in the crook of his right arm, and mumbled, "Let me sleep… tired." He opened his left hand – releasing the second green shell.

Jim took it and went back next to the flat rock. He placed Artemus's shell beside his then glanced around him again. The place needed exploring… but he couldn't leave Artemus alone here. The man was a magnet for trouble, he thought.

He sat on the cold sand. "Let's wait," he said, watching his partner sleep, seagulls flying overhead in the gray, changing sky.

WWW

 _Much later_

 _End of the afternoon_

Climbing the cliff took hours.

It took hours because they were fatigued, because their limbs ached and because it was difficult and because the rock was slippery, thanks to the mist from the ocean.

The exploration of the island didn't take long though. The island, was, in fact, composed of three main volcanic islets with precipitous cliffs, dropping off steeply into the sea. The coves and beaches were few and colonized by sea lions and seals.

Rubbing his stubbled chin, Artie said, "I know where we are, Jim, Anacapa Island, one of the smallest of the Channel Islands, a few miles off the coast of California. On the West island, to be exact, as that island is the largest and highest islet of the three. I've never come here before, but I sailed off those islands."

Jim nodded. "So we're close to the coast of California?"

Hearing the raucous barking of sea lions, they lowered their eyes to the rocky beach. "Yes, there are eleven miles between here and the coast." He wiped his brow. The heat was fortunately bearable. "Well, we'll have some noisy neighbors. But I prefer human ones." He pointed at columns of smoke ascending toward the sky originating from the next islet. "They are too far away to signal or call to them, and I don't know who they are ... They could be pirates, hiding here, where no one goes, who knows? But we can't go there, Jim. Those islets are inaccessible from each other except by boat – and we don't have any, and there's nothing on that island to build one. And we don't have anything to make fire to signal our presence either. Swimming is out of question. Sea lions and seals are lunch for sharks and those waters around here harbor lots of sharks … It's a miracle none of them tried to eat us last night…"

Frowning, upset, Jim crossed his arms on his chest and declared, "So we're stuck here, and we're going to die of thirst before starving to death." He glanced around him. The place was relatively, small, barren, covered with yellow shrubs and red flowers. He raised his eyes. Thousands of birds were flying overhead. "Stranded here, so close to the coast of California…"

Sitting on the ground, Artie said, "We're stranded here right, but I'm sure that we could find something to eat, like lizards and eggs! Birds use Anacapa as a nesting area. As for the water… this island is volcanic, and I'm sure that we could find holes with plenty of rain water inside…"

Jim nodded. "There's no shelter here…"

Pointing at the horizon, at patches of blue sky, he said "Spring storms in this part of the ocean, are intense but never last long… the sun will be back soon." He pointed at a yellow shrub. "That big yellow shrub is called _Coreopsis gigantea_ , and its blooming season, is from March to May, and the stem is succulent…"

Jim lifted an interested eyebrow. "Then they are edible, and very good?"

Chuckling Artie shook his head. "No, not all the succulent plants are succulent, I mean delicious. In botany succulents are plants adapted to dry environments that have some parts that retain water to survive drought periods."

Frustrated, Jim scowled. Botany was totally _terra incogn_ ita to him.

Glancing around him again, Artie smiled. "It's beautiful! I'd like to have my sketchbooks and my pencils with me, as well as my box of watercolors and my paintbrushes…" Looking again at the columns of smoke, far away, on the other island, he added, "Maybe they come here… and if they do, we'll see them and they will see us. This place is small."

Suddenly hopeful, Jim nodded. "You're right, let's settle next to the cliff at the bottom of which the beach is located, they'll disembark there."

His stomach growling, Artie said, "I'm going to find something to eat… in the meantime you find a comfy place to camp."

The two men parted.

WWW

Finding a small rock shelter not far from the cliff Artie and he had climbed, Jim decided to claim it. But it was a little Spartan for his taste, so he decided to make it more comfortable.

Fortunately the sun came back shortly after, chasing the clouds, and a sudden intense heat dried everything on the island in a matter of minutes – him included.

He picked up armfuls of tall grass and moss and then covered the ground of the shelter with them, making the rock shelter hospitable.

He was beginning to get worried but, when Artie joined him, two hours later, he was grinning. He was bare chested, as he had transformed his shirt in a makeshift bag.

Sitting cross-legged beside Jim, he lowered it to the nest of herb and moss. "Mmm… that's comfy, good job partner." He smiled and continued, "I did some exploring again, Jim, and I found very interesting things. He opened his 'bag' and pulled out three rusty knives, a comb, a battered pan and a broken mirror. "I found this behind a rock. The comb was made in New York, it's engraved on it. I didn't understand at first how those things ended up here, and then I remembered that the sidewheel Steamer _SS Winfield Scott_ crashed into the Middle Anacapa island, on evening of December 1, 1853. Fortunately all 450 passengers and crew survived. The ship was completely evacuated in a couple of hours. People on board had time to take their personal things, and somehow a few of them ended up here, probably taken there after the complete evacuation, later, by other people visiting or living here… the _SS California_ evacuated the women and children first, and on 2 December and on 9 December men were evacuated in their turn, the crew later." Taking the mirror, Artie said. 'I used it to send a message in Morse code to the people on the other islet… telling people there that we are stranded here after a shipwreck."

Reaching out, Jim took the mirror in his turn. "Good idea, Artie! As for the knives, they're rusty but can be still useful. I'm going to make fire. In the meantime, use one of the knives to kill something… I'm hungry!" then he left the rock shelter.

Following Jim Artie smiled and asked him, "Do you like grilled lizard? There are rocks over there… and small natural pool too, nestled in the middle.

His skin covered with salt itched.

WWW

Standing on the rocky edge of the natural and deep pool, Artie tentatively stepped one foot into the rainwater trapped there and quickly pulled it back. He grimaced. It was cold.

He scratched his itching head, feeling sand in it. "I don't care if the water's cold, I need a bath…" and he removed his clothes.

He entered the pool, shivering and he gritted his teeth but kept going. He finally stopped waist deep adjusting to the cold water quickly.

Kneeling beside Artie, Jim splashed him with water, playfully. "You know that there are only two pools like this here," he said.

Moving into the middle of the pool, Artemus stayed there, treading water, staying afloat, shivering, goosebumps covering his whole body. "We'll keep this one to bathe… Don't worry, there's enough water in the other to drink for months…" He dipped under water again and again to scrub the sand from his scalp and the salt from his skin. He stopped when he felt clean. Opening his eyes, he discovered Jim treading water beside him. He was frowning in worry. "What is it?"

Jim sighed. "Are you sure you're okay with… being in water again, after what happened?"

Placing a hand on Jim's shoulder, Artie nodded and said, "I'm not afraid of water Jim. Don't worry. I wouldn't be here, in this pool, otherwise. I fell off a horse dozens of times before knowing how to ride correctly, and I was never afraid of getting back up in the saddle. It is necessary to know how to dominate one's fears, Jim, otherwise we remain petrified ... I'm fine."

In one smooth move he pushed Jim underwater. "Got you!"

Jim surfaced a few seconds later in time with Artie, sputtering… and squirting water at his best friend through his teeth. "This is war!"

Giggling like a schoolboy, Artie shook the water out of his hair and shoved James under again. "And I will win that war, James my boy."

WWW

 _Later, at night_

More than hungry, Artemus settled the battered pan above the fire between four large stones, and broke eggs inside, using a knife to make an omelet.

Once it was cooked, they used their fingers to eat, wolfing down pieces of hot omelet in a flash. Feeling a little better, like his partner, Artie lifted two skewers of lizards. "I ate a lot of lizard when I was with the Comanche," he said. "It's not bad, you get used to it…"

Jim eyed the skewers with a grimace of disgust. "I think I'm gonna pass. Do you have any other eggs? I like omelets a lot more."

Taking his shirt-turned-into-a-bag, Artie offered it to his best friend. He smiled. "And you're not capable of making decent one. Here, you can even choose the color and the size of the eggs. Enjoy!"

Leaning against the wall of the rock shelter, stretching his long legs, Artemus asked, "Do you believe in premonitory dreams, Jim?"

Scrambling the eggs in the old pan, Jim shrugged. "I don't know, I never had one. Why?"

Artie sighed. "Because I think I had one, after Peters hit me and I lost consciousness. It seemed so real… Want me to tell you that dream?"

Jim smiled. "Please."

Crossing his hands in his lap, Artemus said, "Loveless wanted to get rid of us by transforming us into male mermaids, into mermen. He wanted to keep us as pets. For that, he used a mermaid, he kept prisoner in a vast tank of saltwater, in his hideout. Peters attached weights to my feet and threw me into the tank and I drowned. The mermaid saved my life. She kissed me, there was a bright white light and I was a merman, with a fish tail… And a mermaid saved my life, last night. She kissed me, there was a bright green light and she brought me back…"

Jim was impressed. "Incredible! Maybe I should believe in premonitory dreams after all… But you're still a man, buddy, and I prefer that." He chuckled. "It wouldn't be easy to ride your horse with a fish tail, and I'm not talking about where you would wear your gun belt, it would slide off all the time on your slippery scales…"

Artie smiled. "I couldn't be your partner again, unless I could transform my lab into a pool, and that should be possible..."

Jim smiled too. "Anything's possible with you, Artie…" He placed the pan above the fire. "You know I'm a bit jealous, you kissed a mermaid twice, once in your dream and once…"

Artie nodded then his face darkened and in a somber tone, he said, "Once after I drowned and died. She was real, this time."

Jim nodded in his turn, looking gloomy. He placed a hand over his face with a sigh, and shut his eyes briefly as images of what happened popped into his mind. "I know that, Artie, I was there. He swallowed hard, his mouth dry as cotton. "I really thought I'd lost you this time, for good." He heaved a long sigh. "You keep dying, and I bring you back each time. That's why I have gray hairs…"

A smile coming back to his lips, Artie said, "You don't have gray hairs and this time you didn't bring me back to life, Jim. A mermaid did, with a kiss, like in a fairy tale, or tail..."

Still very serious Jim said, his face grave, "It wasn't a fairy tale. He wrapped his fingers around Artie's arm. "Don't do that again, Artie. Don't die."

The older man nodded and patted Jim's hand soothingly. "I will die, one day, you know, for good that time. It's inevitable. I'm not immortal, James, nor are you, I'm afraid. But I will probably die before you do. Our line of work is very dangerous, but you'll survive me, because you are younger, stronger, and faster. And I'm growing older, with all that that implies, for example my reflexes will deteriorate… and somebody will kill me. And you can do nothing to stop that. Oh, I'm completely aware of that. But I accepted that long ago. You, James my boy, you'll retire from the Secret Services and live the rest of your life peacefully, married to a lovely and adventurous wife, with children, and probably a big ranch in Mexico, raising horses."

His face still grim, Jim nodded. He removed his hand from his partner's arm and nodded in his turn. "I'd like that. I know that one day you will die, Artemus, definitively, and I'm sure you will be very old, because you're like a cat, with nine lives. And you have a few of them left, so try not to waste them."

Artie chuckled. "I promise you not to waste them…" He frowned as he saw shadows moving silently behind Jim and he grabbed a knife… but froze when he felt the blade of another knife pressing against his throat. He dropped the rusty knife.

Spearheads rested on Jim's nape and he raised his hands, unfazed. "I see that you saw our signals… good. Do you want some grilled lizard?"

The shadows moved closer and the fire-light revealed a dozen Indian warriors, barefoot, long hair flowing and wearing just grass skirts. They had seashell necklaces and bracelets.

Jim glanced at Artie. "It wasn't pirates," he said.

Artie shook his head. "No, but Indians."

Puzzled Jim frowned. "Here?"

Raising a hand in a peace gesture, Artie shifted into diplomatic mode and said, "We are castaways, we don't have any weapons, we mean you no harm. Don't kill us, please."

Coming out from the darkness an old man, with long white hair approached, his face severe. He held a long stick decorated with butternut shells and colored feathers. "We won't kill you. In your language, my name is Moon Above Water. I'm the medicine man of the Santa Cruz island Chumash band." He waved his hand and the weapons were withdrawn. "We saw your light signals. Who are you? And what happened to you? Don't lie, or I'll know it immediately, and you will die. Chumash people love truth, because truth permits trust. Trust permits many things like: friendship, exchange, trade, peace, hospitality."

Lowering his hands, slowly, Jim said, "My name is James West, and my companion is Artemus Gordon. We are special agents of the US Government, working for President Grant. And old enemy of us captured us, brought us on a ship and threw us in the ocean so that we should drown."

Lowering his hand too, Artie continued, "I drowned and died. But a mermaid saved my life by kissing me… it was magic! Then she brought Jim and me to this island."

The Chumash medicine man frowned, looking doubtful. "You drowned, died and you're still breathing? What is a mermaid?"

Using a twig, Artie drew a mermaid in the dust, "It's a creature living underwater in the seas and oceans. She has the upper body of a woman and the tail of a fish. She kissed me, there was a bright green light coming from her necklace pendant, and she brought me back to life. It's the truth, I swear."

Moon Above Water nodded. " _Eneq a'ilimuw_ , a fish-woman, you met one of them."

Both very surprised, Jim and Artie exchanged a look, and Jim spoke first. "Them? You mean that mermaids, plural, live in the ocean?"

The medicine man nodded. "Yes, at least a dozen. It's easy to recognize them; they all have a different colored tail. Chumash warriors were saved by 'mermaids' as you call them, during storms from the main land to the island and conversely. Each time, those creatures offered something to the people they saved… something rare and precious that can be found in the deepest depths, in the black waters where only those creatures can go and…"

Unfolding his shirt, Jim pointed at the two green iridescent shells nestled in the middle. "She offered that shell to us."

The old Chumash opened his eyes wide in surprise. "The shining green shells! It's the second time in my life that I have seen two of them, they're extremely rare and like I said, very precious… They grant to their owners the protection of the seas & oceans."

Intrigued, Jim frowned and asked the old Chumash, "The mermaid told me the same thing, what does it mean exactly?"

The medicine man smiled enigmatically. "You will see for yourself." He bowed his head. "That fish-female creature only saves brave warriors, and brave warriors are welcome among the Chumash people."

The Chumash warriors lowered their weapons. Artie gestured toward the fire. "I'm an excellent hunter of lizards. I prepared six skewers of them, are you hungry?"

WWW

 _The next morning, on the beach_

Moon Above Water gestured toward the plank canoe (planks of cedar wood were seamed together) he had offered to the two white men. It was resting on the beach near the waterline. "With that _tomol_ you will reach the mainland in a matter of hours. I have placed a gourd of fresh water inside." He said, and he smiled. "You will need it. And you will always be welcome among the Chumash people." He pointed out in front of him. "Move straight ahead and you will reach the beach of _Wene Me_."

Bowing his head, Artie said, "Thank you, Moon Above Water. I will always remember the kindness and the generosity of the Chumash people."

Smiling, Jim nodded. "I too, thank you." Then he grabbed a paddle and pushed the plank canoe toward the breaking waves, wading out into the water, in a hurry to leave.

Moon Above Water and Artemus shook hands, warmly. Then the older agent joined his partner in the tomol already floating on the calm water.

Paddling off the beach, the two men met curious seals swimming on each side of the canoe, and then they headed toward the coast of California.

Curious Jim asked, "And what is Wene Me? I never heard of that place before."

Paddling hard to fight against the strong current bringing them dangerously close to black, jagged rocks, Artie replied, "I suppose that _Wene Me_ is the real name of Hueneme which is the Spanish spelling of the Chumash original name of the place. But I don't know what Wene Me means."

They met a group of dolphins a few miles away from the Anacapa Island. They escorted the two men for a few minutes, and then left in the opposite direction.

WWW

 _Later_

The two men stopped paddling half-way for a few minutes' pause, arms burning, and stared at the shore located a few miles away.

The coast of California.

The waves gently rocked the tomol, lapping against the planks.

Resting his paddle on his lap, Jim said, "I was thinking… you shouldn't mention anything about that mermaid in your report to Colonel Richmond, Artie, unless you want to end up with a straight jacket in an insane asylum for the rest of your li… OhGod! Look!" He pointed his finger at a large, green, iridescent, long fish tail shining in the sunlight. "I think the mermaid is coming back, Artie…"

The older man dropped his paddle at his feet and look to the right. "Where?" Where? I can't see any…" and gasped when the – gorgeous! - mermaid broke the surface beside the plank canoe, head and shoulders above the water. He beamed, a slight flush on his cheeks, intimidated. She was not human. "Hello… I haven't had the opportunity to introduce myself and thank you. My name is Artemus Gordon, I'd like to thank y'…"

He didn't have time to finish his sentence. The mermaid wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him overboard, into the deep blue sea, dragging him into the water with her.

Slowly working her tail to keep herself afloat, the mermaid pressed Artemus against her body, keeping him floating and upright, her long brunette hair spiraling down to her shoulders in long, curly waves.

Holding each other tightly, they gently bobbed close to the surface with the water, like buoys, rocked by the small sans-foam waves.

Jim grabbed the edge of the tomol, feeling a bit apprehensive, "Artie!"

Grinning, like a fool, ecstatic Artie said, "I'm okay Jim, I'm okay."

The mermaid fingered Artie's rounded ear, finding it fascinating, [Ar-te-mus-gor-don, it's a strange name, but a beautiful one, it suits you.]

Blushing with pleasure Artie breathed, 'Thanks. You speak my language very well. Did you learn to speak English following the boats and ships everywhere in the seas and oceans?'

The mermaid continued, [Yes, I did, and other languages too. I like your name Ar-te-mus-gor-don.] She said with a flirtatious smile on her light green lips. [I like you too, a lot.] She traced his spine, through his waterlogged shirt and said, [You're handsome, human.]

His face bright red, smiling, Artie felt a shiver run through the entire length of his body and fingered the dark green fin jutting from her left forearm. 'You're beaut…'

Suddenly the mermaid crashed her lips on Artie's, quieting him and kissed him devouringly (figuratively speaking). Of course, as he was raised as a proper gentleman, thus was well-mannered, Artemus Gordon politely returned the kiss with the same enthusiasm.

Showing his gratitude too.

He didn't mind the mermaid's sharp, pointy shark-like teeth.

He paused breathless and said, 'I like you too. You saved my life, thank you, and I don't know how to thank you more than with words,' and he pressed his lips to the beautiful mermaid's, kissing her and running his hands through her long, black, swirling hair.

Jim rolled his eyes. Artemus the charmer… He could charm any woman; mermaid included now, and felt a pang of jealousy he immediately dismissed.

Out of breath, Artemus parted from the mermaid and rested his forehead against hers. 'I'll never forget you, lovely mermaid.'

The mermaid smiled, [My name is Myl, I am the daughter of Kral and Keel.] She fingered his stubbled jawline. [It's too bad you're not one of the males of my species…I find you very attractive. You would make a good mate.] She kissed Artie again and she thought [I know how you can thank me, more than with words, with more kisses and maybe some caresses too... I love them.] She maneuvered Artie atop her large and vibrant green tail and ripped open Artie's sodden shirt, before roaming her webbed hands everywhere on his broad shoulders and bare back, up and down. [It's so smooth…] She said, delighted.

Closing his eyes, Artemus _couldn't help but let out soft noises of liking._ He blushed hard again, feeling the heat on his ears once more.

She discovered scars, froze and frowned. [Scars?]

Nodding Artie just thought, 'I fought many battles.'

Myl smiled and said, [Take a deep breath, my beautiful warrior.] Then she draped her tail over the human's legs and brought him underwater, moving swiftly.

Keeping Artie in a tight embrace against her, still kissing him, she swirled around the tomol a few times then she dove down far enough so Jim could no longer see them – for privacy.

Jim leaned over the gentle waves lapping the plank canoe and eyed the water, on each side, not seeing Artie and the mermaid anymore. "Artie! Artie!" he called.

Several minutes passed. Artie he knew was good at holding his breath, but he had been underwater dangerously long," he thought.

He was suddenly very afraid that the mermaid wanted to keep Artie with her, mesmerizing him with the help of the magic so he would follow her.

Maybe offering him gills and a fish tail so he could do that – under her spell.

He was ready to dive into the water to bring his partner back, when Artie surfaced and he let out a long sigh of relief.

Grabbing the edge of the canoe, breathing hard, Artie said, "You're right, I'm definitely not going to put that in my report."

Myl surfaced, pressed her body against Artemus's again, and pulled him for a last kiss. [Goodbye Ar-te-mus-gor-don,] she said before diving in.

Dying from curiosity, Jim asked, "Tell me what happened, Artie."

Climbing into the tomol, rocking it, Artemus shook his head, sending droplets of water everywhere, then, sitting in the small boat, looking at Jim with a mischievous glint in his eyes, he said, "No."

Jim pouted.

Tbc.


	4. Act Three

**THE NIGHT OF THE MERMAID**

 **By Andamogirl**

WWW

 **ACT THREE**

 _Two days later,_

 _San Francisco_

Colonel Richmond closed the report and looked up at his two agents in front of him almost standing at attention. "That's a fantastic adventure, gentlemen. Reaching that island, swimming in total darkness, in the cold water, in the middle of a storm, was pure luck."

Jim and Artemus exchanged a knowing glance and a smile. "Yes, Sir, we were very lucky." They both said in a perfect chorus.

Richmond smiled, "Yes, you were. Do you want some coffee? I have spent the night on a train and I couldn't sleep a single minute. It's uncomfortable, noisy, and the heat was just horrible… I sometimes envy you having the Wanderer at your disposal."

Leaving for the galley to make a pot of fresh coffee, Artemus left Jim alone with the Colonel, and Jim asked, curiously, "Why are you here, Sir, and not in Washington?"

Richmond sighed. "Well, that's simple. Pr. Hartfield was pretty upset after Loveless stole the sapphires from his mermaid. He wants them back. He told that to the Governor, who told it to the President, and the President sent me here to personally supervise the 'recovery mission'. By the way, you have a new assignment, find the sapphires and bring them back to Pr. Hartfield, and arresting Loveless would be a bonus. Pr. Hartfield has delayed the opening of the exposition on the Caribbean pirates until Saturday. So you have four days to find those sapphires."

Jim nodded. "And arrest Loveless. Any news on him?"

Richmond shook his head. "Nothing precise, just rumors. Our local agents heard things about, I quote, "big, blue, things worth million dollars for sale", but no more; on the port. You should start your investigation there, as soon as possible. I hope you'll find them."

WWW

 _Later, in Artemus's lab_

Sitting on a stool, at his big table, Artemus moved the table mirror closer. Using a brush covered with transparent glue, he trailed it along his black eyebrows then placed one faux white, thick, bushy eyebrow on each, then pressed on them with his fingertips.

Then he glued a large white mustache on top of his upper lip.

Glancing at Richmond sitting at his side, smiling, he explained, "I will become Barkley Ford-Donaldson, a very, very rich rancher out of Houston…" He took on the Texas accent and with an old man's quavering voice he added, "He wants to buy something exceptional for his wedding anniversary… The price doesn't matter. He can buy half the United States if he wants to."

Richmond nodded, "Like two big blue sapphires…"

Placing a long white-haired wig on his head, Artemus slipped into his character and said, "Yes, why not? Those things are blue right? Like the color of my wife's eyes, perfect!"

The head of the Secret Services smiled, "And I suppose that you will have a drink in a tavern on the port and let everyone know that you want to buy something exceptional for your wedding anniversary… something unusual, right?"

Combing his faux hair, Artie smiled. "Right, and more than one drink."

Frowning, a bit worried, Richmond said, "That's an excellent idea. You're going to be an irresistible decoy for Loveless. Be careful, Artemus."

Standing, Artie nodded. "I will, Sir. And my cover is perfect. Barkley Ford-Donaldson of Houston really exists. He's fabulously rich. I met him last year in a hotel in Dallas." He stroked Marmalade's fur and said to her, "My faux-potbelly is not a comfy pillow, Marmie. Go in your basket."

The cat blinked awake and opened one amber eye and rolled on its back, offering its belly for caresses. It was the deal. Artemus sighed in defeat and complied, petting Marmie's belly.

She purred loudly in satisfaction and with pleasure too.

Marmalade finally left her makeshift pillow a couple of minutes later, leaving the faux potbelly covered with orange hairs, waving her tail.

Richmond chuckled. "I'm wondering who's the master here?"

Smiling, Artie removed his shirt, brushed off the cat's hair and attached the prop to his upper body using elastic bands. "It's her, of course."

Marmie meowed in approbation.

Curious, Richmond pointed at the round, cone-shaped, iridescent green shell, protected in a glass ball that Artemus had hanging, attached to a thin leather cord around his neck. "It's beautiful… it looks like a gem, an emerald."

Smiling, Artie immediately fingered the pendant he had made once back on the Wanderer to protect the mermaid's gift. "I found it on the island, Colonel, on the beach," he lied. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

The Colonel nodded. "Yes it is."

Artemus unbuttoned the bottom part of the faux rounded belly, and picked up the small gun sitting on the table. He slid it inside and re-buttoned the theatre prop.

Opening a box he pulled out a long, thin, transparent tube on the top of which was a pocket filled with a blueish liquid. Two elastic bands were attached to the tube, one at the top and one at the bottom. Artie fixed the device to his right leg. Seeing that the Colonel was puzzled, he said, "It's one of my latest inventions, Sir. Jim will be able to follow me with that. When I'll press the pouch filled with liquid, it will flow, drop by drop to the ground or the floor. The drops will dry instantly but they will leave a blue dye invisible to the naked eye ..." He fished out a pair of glasses with tinted lenses. "But with these special glasses, Jim will be able to follow the blue spots anywhere."

Richmond was amazed. "Very ingenuous." Curious he pointed at the pendant resting at the base of the other man's neck. It was a round, cone-shaped iridescent green shell Artemus. "It's beautiful… it looks like a gem, an emerald."

WWW

 _Later, at night, at the Mermaid Tavern, port of San Francisco_

Barkley Ford-Donaldson glanced at the small figurehead of the blonde mermaid hung above the rear mirror, behind the bar.

He smiled. She looked like a lot to Mira.

He used his teeth to remove the cork of the (second) bottle of whisky – and poured himself another glass of liquor. Then he slid a 20 dollar bank note into the waitress décolleté. "Thank you honey, I was thirsty."

The young brunette took her place on her chair beside him and stroked his jawline. "Maybe I could offer you something else…" She proposed.

The faux-old man chuckled, "Cheeky girl! I'm a married man and I love my wife dearly, sugar. And that's why I came here! I heard that you can find anything here, in the port of San Francisco, precious things coming from all around the world."

She played with Artemus's ribbon tie. "What kind of precious things are you looking for? I know a lot of people here, I could help you… by the way, I'm Cathy."

The phony Texan removed his white Stetson and set it on the table. He gulped his whisky and said, "Sure, Cathy. I'm looking for gems, my wife Sue-Bridget loves them, all of them, diamonds, emeralds, rubies, but she has a preference for sapphires. They're blue, like her eyes, and blue is her color. Find me big sapphires, and you'll be rewarded. The bigger they are, the better it is." He filled his glass again and downed it in two gulps. "I'm very, very rich, so rich I could buy half of the US if I wanted to. I can pay a fortune for a sapphire…"

He saw Cathy glance at the bartender, who nodded, and then turn around to face the big mirror hung on the wall.

He nodded again.

Hiding a smile Artemus thought, 'Interesting, there's someone on the other side of that mirror, a one way mirror, with a nice view on the tavern… Coming here, to the mermaid tavern was a good choice Artie, old man…and I'm wondering who it is.'

He saw a door opening and knew who was looking at him on the other side of the mirror, when the giant Peters entered the room.

Loveless.

He flinched and poured himself another glass of whisky. 'The mermaid led me here, it's not a coincidence,' he mused.

Peters stopped in front of the table and said, "Don't move old man!" he grabbed Artie's wrists and kept his hands on the table.

Immediately Artie pressed on the pouch hidden in his right pants leg.

Barkley Ford-Donaldson lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "What are you doing? He suddenly grimaced as he felt a sting in the side of his neck.

He removed a dart… and his vision starred to blur. Through a graying veil he saw Loveless move in his direction, holding his blowgun, giggling. "You…"

Everything went dark and Artemus Gordon slumped to the side, unconscious.

Peters threw Artie over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and followed his boss into the back room.

Hidden on the other side of the tavern, in an unoccupied apartment with a clear view of the tavern, Jim folded his small spyglass.

Loveless had Artie. The plan was working perfectly, for now, he thought.

Using his pick lock he opened the back door of the tavern and closed it behind him. Placing Artie's special glasses on his nose, he explored the corridor in front of him, searching for blue drops on the floor – and found them in a room located behind a big one-way mirror opening to the tavern. There was a back door in that room and he headed there.

WWW

 _Later in a bedroom in Loveless ' hideout,_

Miguelito Loveless threw the telegram on the table and looked at Peters. "I've done some checking up on our guest here," he said. He moved toward the bed on which the Texas rancher was lying, still sleeping soundly. "Mr. Barkley Ford-Donaldson is very, very rich and his ranch is almost the size of Texas. He's one of the richest men in the United States. I'm sure he will be able to pay me 200,000 dollars for each of my sapphires. Wake him, Peters, gently. He's old."

Peters leaned toward Artemus and shook his arm. "Wake up!" and he continued until Artie's eyes finally fluttered open.

Loveless frowned. "I said, gently."

Blinking slowly, Artie couldn't help but recoil when he saw Peter's face close to his. He swallowed. "What happened?" He propped himself on his elbows and looked around him. He was lying on a bed in a comfortable bedroom. There were no windows, he noticed. 'I'm in Loveless's underground hideout. Good. Jim will be here too, soon', he thought. 'Now play for time."

He frowned, and shifting into his character of old, Texas rancher he said, "Get back you big Neanderthal! What are you trying to do? Tear away my arm?" He pushed Peters back and sat on the edge of the bed… his head spinning. He looked at Loveless, knitting his thick white eyebrows. "Who are you little man? Where am I? What do you want?"

Loveless smiled soothingly. "My name is Miguelito Loveless, Dr. Miguelito Loveless…"

Standing Artie said, "A doctor? What for? I don't need one. I am as healthy as my bulls!" He looked around here. "Am I in a hospital?"

Loveless shook his head. "No, you're a guest here, in my… underground place. I have a proposition for you Mr. Ford-Donaldson. I recently acquired two big sapphires, the size of a fist each, and I would like to sell them, at a reasonable price."

The faux Ford-Donaldson frowned. "And you brought me here to tell me this? Let's go back to the tavern, I'm thirsty. The whisky's good and the girl, Cathy is good-looking…" he chuckled.

Loveless shook his head. "The sapphires are here, safe, and they will stay here. So if you want them, you'll stay here too."

Moving away from the bed, followed like his own shadow by Peters, Artie smiled. "Okay. Show me your gems, little man. My wife loves sapphires."

Loveless halted beside a coffee table and opened the box sitting there. Two big sapphires began to sparkle in the light of the kerosene lamps and chandeliers.

Smiling Artie took one in his hand and observed it closely. "It's beautiful… Sue-Bridget my wife will love it! I mean, will love them both. How much?"

Loveless eyes gleamed with greed. "200,000 dollars each."

The faux old man rubbed his chin pensively. "I'm not a gems specialist and those sapphires could be fake. Who knows? You give me your word they're genuine sapphires, but I don't know you. You could be a crook trying to scam me by selling me pieces of blue glass."

Loveless scowled, upset. "I'm an honest man, Mr. Ford-Donaldson. I can assure you that those gems are real sapphires."

Placing the sapphire back in the box Artemus said, "Only people looking to escape justice are hiding underground like rats..."

Loveless frowned, looking affronted at that.

Peters's jaw tightened and he growled like an angry bear.

Sensing that he had gone too far and his sixth sense ringing, Artemus raised a hand and forced a smile on his lips. "I was joking, of course."

Peters towered above Artie threateningly, baring his teeth. "No one insults the Doctor!" He suddenly grabbed Artie by his bi-colored, fringed jacket and slammed him against the wall. Then he slammed his first into his solar plexus, knocking the wind right out of the faux old man.

Artie's padding didn't absorb the impact at all.

Feeling both the brute's fist and the hidden gun bruising his middle, Artemus let out a loud 'oof' sound and collapsed to the floor.

He curled in on himself, sucking in deep breaths and coughing, wrapping his arms around his abdomen as he squeezed his eyes shut, gritting his teeth against the pain.

Peters rolled Artie onto his back and ripped his shirt open, discovering the faux potbelly. He spotted the buttons at the bottom and tore them away before sliding his hand inside then bringing a revolver out of it. "I knew that I had hit something solid…"

Miguelito Loveless grabbed a handful of the faux Ford-Donaldson's hair, revealing dark curled hair underneath. "No, no, it's impossibe! He's dead!" He then removed the faux mustache. "Artemus Gordon!" He blinked twice. "You're not dead!"

Grimacing, curled again in a fetal position, Arte groaned as relentless waves of nausea rolled through his so very painful stomach, "No… very much alive."

Peters brandished a fist like an anvil.

Loveless raised his hand, stopping his faithful servant's momentum. "Peters, no! If Mr. Gordon is here, his partner is not very far. They're like Siamese twins, always together. Give me the gun and find him! Don't worry about me; Mr. Gordon isn't a threat anymore. Go! Don't kill him. I want him alive."

Peters gave the small gun to his boss and headed toward the door.

Loveless placed the mouth of the revolver against Artie's jaw. "You were really good in that old man role, Mr. Gordon, really. But now it's my turn to play a role: the executioner." He cocked the hammer of the gun. "I'm curious, how did you manage to survive?"

Artie smiled. "You're not going to believe it but a mermaid helped us… Ooooh." Pale-faced he moved on his hands and vomited onto the floor.

WWW

Dozens of Gunshots resounded in the corridor.

Shortly after, the door swung open and James West burst into the bedroom, holding a smoldering gun. He immediately spotted Loveless, standing beside Artie, lying on the floor, and aiming a gun at him. "Drop your gun Loveless! Peters won't come to help you."

Miguelito Loveless frowned, upset. "Did you kill him?"

Jim shook his head. "No, but with a bullet in each kneecap, he won't walk again. Your other henchmen either. Drop your gun, now. Don't make me repeat it again."

Unimpressed the little man chuckled. "It's my turn to say that now, drop your gun Mr. West or your best friend here is going to die."

Moving forward, Jim said, "You're not capable of killing people in cold blood, like that. You prefer using bombs, drugs, brutes, etc. You don't want to have blood splattering your own hands." He took another step forward. "You won't pull the trigger."

Loveless narrowed his eyes. "Don't be so sure. There's a first time for everything. Killing Mr. Gordon would be a good start."

Stone-faced, Jim said, his eyes darkening from blue to black, "Do that and a split second later, you'll die with a bullet in your head."

Rolling his eyes, Artie said, "I hate standoffs…" And he grabbed Loveless's ankle, unbalancing him. The diminutive man fired by reflex.

Everything went very quickly then: the bullet hit and broke the ring holding the chandelier to the ceiling and the chandelier dropped like a stone on top of a table placed underneath, breaking the kerosene lamp sat there. It collapsed to the floor, on the carpet, and flames instantly spread over it. Lit candles rolled everywhere, and two of them halted their course beside the bed. They immediately set fire to the long fringes of the bedspread. Two others flew in the air and toppled a second kerosene lamp placed on a sideboard. New flames appeared, eating away a tapestry hanging on a wall.

Soon huge flames and thick smoke invaded the room.

Loveless glared at Jim. The Doctor's knuckles were white, and his face contorted in rage. "I'll make you pay for this!" he said. Then he ran away while Jim helped his partner to stand.

Forgetting the sapphires in his flight.

But Artie pocketed them before following his best friend in fleeing the blaze. They reached the tavern five minutes later, flames and smoke in tow.

People around them cried out, "Fire! Fire!" and left the place in a hurry. Coughing, eyes red, burning, Jim and Artie followed them.

Then, once in the street they went away quickly, Artie keeping his hands on the sapphires, deforming the pockets of his brown jacket.

Grimacing in pain, Artemus grunted. "I think that Peters burst my stomach… I need to see a doctor Jim." He leaned against a hitching post and retched. "Hurts…" He suddenly sank to his knees, his breath hitching in his chest. He doubled up, a hot knife stabbing, twisting in his stomach. "Oooh…boy." And he vomited.

He collapsed to the ground.

WWW

 _Later, in the Wanderer_

Colonel Richmond took one sapphire and observed it, fascinated. "It's beautiful. It's so clear, so blue, it's really perfect."

Placing a wooden box on the work table, Jim said, "Pr. Hartfield will be pleased to have the sapphires back. " He opened the lid and placed the second gem inside.

Richmond nodded. "I sent a telegram with the good news to the President, while you were changing clothes, and he sends you his congratulations."

Jim smiled. "I'm pleased to hear that, Sir." He watched the Colonel place the sapphire into the box and then closed the lid. "Policemen are waiting outside, Sir. They will escort you to the Museum of Arts. Please, tell Pr. Hartfield that Artie and I will pay him a visit at the opening of the exhibition on Saturday." Then he headed toward the door, opening it.

The head of the Secret Services nodded. "We will go there together, then. The President authorized me to stay on board the Wanderer. We'll leave for Washington Sunday morning. In the meantime, you will have a short leave. Artemus and you need to rest after what you went through. It's deserved. Speaking of Artemus, I sincerely hope he gets better soon."

Jim responded, "He's going to be alright, Sir. Dr. Brown is taking good care of him at the hospital. That brute, Peters almost burst his stomach…"

Richmond nodded and took the wooden box. "And you sent that bruteto the hospital too, along with the rest of Loveless's henchmen. It's too bad he escaped, again."

Jim nodded. "One day, I'll put him behind bars, Sir, definitely."

WWW

 _Later, at the hospital_

Two nurses, one on each side of the bed, were slowly, and gently massaging strong-scented ointment on Artie's badly bruised belly, pain temporarily abating, when Jim entered his partner's room.

Immediately a grin passed over his face. He placed the bag he was holding on the ground and rolled his eyes. Artemus Gordon and nurses…

Eyes closed, sprawled on his bed, head resting on a fluffy pillow, Artemus was almost purring cat-like, a blissful smile on his lips.

Moving toward his temporarily bedridden best friend, Jim thought 'I already told you this, but you had to have been a cat in another life… with more than nine lives'. He smiled and said, "Hello Artemus."

Looking at Jim through half-lidded eyes, Artie yawned and said, "Hiya Jim." Then he glanced at the two nurses and smiled. "Daisy, Lucille, could you let me alone with my friend for a moment, please. I promise you I won't go anywhere."

The two young and lovely brunettes smiled, kissed Artemus on his forehead and headed toward the door, giggling.

Clutching his stomach in pain, Artemus pulled himself into a sitting position, hissing through gritted teeth, and wincing. "I had a second medical exam a couple of hours ago. Dr. Brown wanted to be sure. Nothing's ruptured in there, it was some kind of miracle, the doctor told me," he said pointing at his swollen black and blue abdomen and added, "Everything is just badly bruised… I'm going to have some pains here for some time though. Riding is out of the question."

Sitting on a chair, Jim said, "I'm glad to hear that, buddy. I was worried about you. But I see that you found people to comfort you…"

The older man grinned. "Well, yes, I have. They're just adorable, aren't they? You know me. I can't resist nurses… and they can't resist my natural charm and good looks either." He abruptly became serious and asked his partner, "Did the Colonel take the sapphires, Jim?"

Jim nodded. "Yes, he has probably given them to Pr. Hartfield by now. They will be under guard from now on." He smiled, utterly pleased. "Loveless has lost all the way: he lost the sapphires, his henchmen will end up in prison, he lost his secret hideout in a fire, and we're still alive."

Rubbing small circles on his ointment-greased abdomen, Artie nodded pensively. "Knowing that personage, he's going to retaliate," he said.

Jim nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think that too. It's not over." He stood and took the bag he had set on the floor a few minutes before. "I brought you some fresh clothes."

Artie beamed. "Ah! James my boy! What would I do without you?"

WWW

 _The next morning_

His hand placed on his aching and distended belly, Artie raised his other hand. "Hey driver!" he called as a coach approached in their direction. "Coming with me Jim?"

Untying his horse from the hitching post, Jim nodded. "Of course. I promised Dr. Brown to keep an eye on you, and I will."

Turning around, Artie smiled and waved goodbye to Daisy and Lucille standing on the steps of the San Francisco hospital. "Goodbye, ladies."

The black coach stopped in front of the hospital main door. "To the railroad station!" Artie said, before climbing into the vehicle, wincing.

Jim attached Blackjack to the rear of the carriage and joined Artie inside. He took his place oppositef the other man. "Colonel Richmond is going back to Washington with us, Artie. We'll leave San Francisco Sunday morning.'"

Suddenly the doors locked and metal plates slid from the side to close the windows. Then a thick yellow smoke sprung from behind the seats: a knock out gas.

Coughing, Artemus said, "I think it's seriously compromised…" Then he slid to the side, on the seat, unconscious.

Keeping his hand over his nose and mouth, Jim slammed his shoulder against the right door, trying to open it, but he was too weak.

Finally he slumped on the floor, at Artie's feet, passed out.

Tbc.


	5. Act Four

**THE NIGHT OF THE MERMAID**

 **By Andamogirl**

WWW

 **ACT FOUR**

 _On a beach, much later_

 _end of the afternoon_

Seagulls circling in the sky, screaming, woke Jim. He blinked twice, surprised.

He was sitting on a beach, close to the waves, foamy cold water lapping at his feet and his arms bound behind his back. He pulled with all his might on his restraints and heard the rattle of chains and a clang. "Okay, I'm shackled."

He looked on his right side. No one. He looked on his left side. Artemus was there secured like him with shackles and heavy chains bolted to a thick wooden post buried in the sand. He was slumped against it and his chin was resting on his chest. He was still passed out. "Artie! Wake up!" he called.

Raising his head, slowly, Artie groaned. "Shhh… my head hurts!" He glanced around him, surprised, then smiled at his best friend. "Shackled to a post at low tide… Hm. Loveless didn't wait long to retaliate. He has decided to drown us again. That's not original."

Pulling on the shackles clamped around his wrists again Jim shook his head. "No. We have already experienced this kind of situation, remember. Well, no, it wasn't the same thing actually. You and I were locked in a heating chamber underground. When the tide began to rise…"

Smiling Artie continued, "And the steam enveloped us. We could have died steamed like lobsters before dying by drowning, Jim."

Jim nodded. "Could, yes. But we didn't, because I had those buttons filled with acid on my waistcoat. I used them to eat away that beam." Looking down at his naked chest, he said, "Loveless took my jacket, and waistcoat, and boots. I'm totally gadget-less, Artie."

Looking down at himself, Artie said, "Same thing here." Feeling the cold seawater cover his bare feet, Artie shivered. "Do you have a solution to get us out of here?"

Dr. Miguelito Loveless followed by two burly henchmen appeared on the top of a small dune overlooking the beach. "There's no solution, Mr. Gordon," he said, heading toward the two men, his goons flanking him. "You will die this time, and I'll stay, watching you drown, to be sure of your definite demise… without speaking of the pleasure I'll have in seeing you both die."

Cold water reaching his calves now, Artie said, "I'm sorry, you will excuse us, but Jim and I won't share that pleasure with you."

Loveless bowed his head politely. "You're excused, of course." He lifted the picnic basket he was holding. "I'm going to settle there, on top of that dune and picnic there, watching the spectacle of your drowning. I look forward to seeing that." He saluted, army-like. "Farewell gentlemen, it was a pleasure to have you as enemies, it was challenging and entertaining… but all good things must come to an end."

Jim nodded, "And as for us we had fun foiling your schemes and putting you in prison… Wait a minute! Past tense? No. We'll continue to do that, won't we Artie?"

Artie nodded. "Sure, Jim."

The little man chuckled. "I'm going to remove you from the surface of Earth in the most painful way possible for you both… suffocating, drowning. In a few minutes from now, there will be no more James West and Artemus Gordon, you will be well and truly dead."

Smiling, he headed back toward the top of the dune, followed by the two large goons.

Suddenly Artemus let out a strangled cry when the cold water hit his gentleman parts. "Oh-oh boy! The water's cold!"

Feeling the cold water soak through his underwear and pants Jim couldn't help but gasp too.

Looking at the water lapping the waistband of his pants, Artemus repeated, "Do you have a solution to get us out of here? Before it's too late…"

Glancing at Loveless sitting on a blanket, on top of the dune, in the shade of tall bushes, eating pieces of cold chicken, Artie said, "I have an idea. But it's going to take some time. There's only one way to get away, out of here. Dislodge the posts."

Feeling water reach his navel, Artie shook his head. "I know. I had the same idea a few minutes ago, but I dismissed it. It's impossible. The posts are deeply embedded in the sand and it could take hours to move them upward and dislodge them. And we'll have water above our heads in half an hour, maybe less. You won't have enough time, Jim."

Closing his hands around the pole, Jim said, "Defeatist Artie? It's not like you." Then he dug his heels into the sandy ground and started to push the post upward, with all his might.

Frowning, Artie grabbed his pole too and pushed upward. "It's not being defeatist to be realistic, Jim. Our chances of survival are close to zero."

Still pushing the post upward, Jim asked, "What do you propose Artie? I'm listening. Oh I know, perhaps you could contact your fish-tailed friend the mermaid to help us…She'll save us and she will probably be enchanted to kiss you again."

Shooting Jim a sidelong look, and lowering his voice too, Artie said, "I can't believe it! You're jealous. How do you propose I contact her? I can't send her a pigeon… I could try with a dolphin, but I can't see one in the vicinity, it's too bad," he added, in a sarcastic tone.

The water was now level with his shoulders Jim said, apologetically, "I'm sorry, Artie. I was jealous, I shouldn't have. I promise it won't happen again – and I promise you that we're not going to die… the post is moving. I just need a few minutes…"

Gritting his teeth, Artie grimaced when the cold, foamy water reached and swirled around his shoulders. He craned his neck. "Mine's not moving at all, but you're stronger than me, so it's normal. Loveless will stay here until he's sure we're dead, Jim. Once the beam has been removed from the sand, rush at Loveless and his men. You should be able to get rid of them by taking advantage of the surprise factor… Don't worry about me; I'm very good at holding my breath. But don't wait too long to find the keys to the shackles, I do not want to drown again." A wave crashed against his face, slamming him back against the post. He snorted and spluttered as salty water got into his nose and mouth. "Gaah!"

Nodding Jim just said, "You won't drown, Artie." And water flooded into his nose and open mouth. He too snorted and sputtered. He managed to lift up the post a little more as the water of the incoming tide reached his chin. He inhaled deeply, holding his breath.

Sitting on his blanket, on top of the dune, Loveless watched with rapt pleasure as the water rose. It had now reached the two agents' foreheads. "It's not going to be long now," he said, before taking a piece of apple pie from the basket. He grinned. "I should have thought about this before, it's so simple… but I usually don't like simple things, because they're too… simple."

A wave washed over Jim's and Artie's faces and they choked. A second one submerged them a few seconds later.

The next wave rolled around, bigger than the previous ones and this time they completely vanished beneath the water.

Miguelito Loveless beamed. "It won't be long now… They can't hold their breath indefinitely." He stood and came closer, water lapping at his feet. The large goons followed. They waited.

Eyes closed, focusing on his task, Jim forced his lungs that were screaming for air, to hold out just a bit longer. It was close. Just a little bit… and the post was getting loose.

He managed to dislodge it from the sand.

He erupted from the water, and using the post like a battering ram, he slammed into the two henchmen, pinning them to the sand.

He managed to grab a gun and pulled the trigger, then aimed at Loveless sitting on the sand. "Loveless! Remove the shackles, now! Quickly! Or I'll put a bullet in your head!"

Loveless fished the key from the inside pocket of his jacket and unfastened the shackles. Then he threw it away, in the bushes. "I'm sorry; I'm a little clumsy sometimes…"

Growling like a furious grizzly bear Jim placed the mouth of his gun against the diminutive man's forehead. "I should kill you!"

Loveless chuckled, unfazed,. "Tick, tock, tick tock, time flies and Mr. Gordon is drowning…" He smiled broadly when Jim sprinted toward the bushes.

It gave him time to flee with his henchmen.

Under water Artemus closed his eyes, teeth gritted, burning lungs starved of oxygen. He couldn't hold his breath much longer, his body jerking desperately…

It took Jim an eternity to find the key, as it was half hidden in the sand. When he had it in his hand, panic squeezing his throat, he rushed toward the still erect post. Waves now had reached the top of it – and Artie had been underwater for too long… he was probably dead. "Artie! No!"

He dove at the speed of light. He reached Artemus in seconds… and was very more than surprised to see that his best friend was breathing, in and out, a bright green light pulsating from the shell resting against the base of his neck. 'What the hell…?'

Eyes sparkling joyfully, Artie was grinning at him.

He released Artemus from the shackles and they both surfaced shortly after, sputtering water and their bodies shaking with cold.

Once sitting on the sand dune, out of breath, Jim looked at the older man lying on the sand beside him, in amazement, the tightness around his throat vanishing replaced by an all-encompassing relief. "MyGod, Artie! He said with a breathless voice, and noticed that the shell wasn't lit anymore. "My God Artie! That was-that was incredible!" he said. "Artie you were breathing underwater, like a fish! I even searched for a fish tail, but your legs were still there…"

The older man nodded, breathing heavily too, and a broad smile lit his face. "Yes, I was. I couldn't hold my breath any longer, I was suffocating… I inhaled and opened my mouth… and the shell lit green, and I could breathe underwater, like a fish! Well, more like a merman, but without the fish tail, but I could breathe underwater, like in my dream… thanks to the shell the mermaid gave me. She told us that the shell would grant us the protection of the seas and oceans, and it just did! That was amazing! That was Magic!" He patted his partner's arm. "I'm okay, and breathing air out of the water now, and I'm still two-legged. I told you it was a premonitory dream, Jim." He pulled himself into a sitting position and glanced around them. "Loveless and his men left."

Pulling Artie in his arms, Jim hugged him tightly. "I thought it was too late…" and felt the other man return his embrace. "I thought I had lost you."

Finally the two men parted and Artie smiled. "Like you said, I was a cat in another life, and I still have a few lives left, enough to reach retirement and beyond."

Standing, Jim said, "Who's speaking of retirement? Come on old man, time to go back home." and he offered his hand to Artie.

Artie was blinking drowsily. He yawned. "I have to take a nap." And he stretched his aching limbs like an oversized cat and swayed before stumbling.

Jim jumped to his partner's side and put a hand under his elbow. "You need more than a nap buddy; you need more like a whole week of uninterrupted sleep."

Artie chuckled. "Let's start with one night Jim, but before that, I'm going to prepare something for dinner. I'm hungry."

WWW

 _The next morning, in the Wanderer_

Colonel Richmond finished reading the report, amazed – and worried. "This story is just incredible!" he said. He looked at Artie sitting on the couch, Marmalade on his lap. "And you managed to hold your breath all that time? That's extraordinary."

Petting Marmie's head, between his ears, eliciting purrs, Artie smiled. "Yes, I did." He lied. 'A new lie in my report'. He added, "I once won a breath-holding contest. I have a very big lung capacity. I can sing operas you know, Colonel? But it was close."

He fingered his green shell pendant.

The Colonel nodded. "Yes it was." He frowned, upset, and said, "And Loveless escaped a second time! And God knows where he is!"

Standing beside the table, Jim took the pot of fresh coffee and poured a cup. Then he offered it to Artemus who thanked him with a smile. "I don't think he left San Francisco. He tried to kill Artie and me twice and failed. As we say, all things come in threes; he will try to kill us again."

Richmond nodded. "This time, we'll capture him, I hope." He moved toward the work table and opened the box hiding the telegraph , camouflaged within fake books. "I have to make my report to the President. He wants to be kept informed of everything that happens."

Cradling his cat against his chest, Artie stood. "I have lots of things to do in my lab." Then he headed toward the swinging door.

Following Artie, Jim said, "I'm coming with you."

Once in the lab, Artie settled Marmalade in her basket and took one of the boxes lined up on a shelf. "I'm going to need your help, Jim."

He placed the box on the long table and opened it. He pulled out bits of faux hair, blond, red-haired, gray, white and finally a brunette one. "These are scraps of faux hair. I always have those left over after I make my wigs Ah! Just what I need." He touched his scalp, where Loveless had removed his hair to stitch the gash that wasn't there anymore thanks to the mermaid and said, "You're going to cut that patch of faux-hair the size and form on that hole in my hair, then I'll glue it there." He reached out and took a pair of scissors. "I need to be presentable for the opening of the exposition."

Taking the pair of scissors Jim chuckled mockingly. "Artemus Gordon and his always impeccable hair. Women love brave, adventurous men with wounds, Artie. It's thrilling!"

Rubbing Marmie under her chin, eliciting loud purrs, Artie nodded. "Anywhere but on the head, Jim. That kind of wound can signify I had brain surgery, like a trepanation, and that I may not be 'complete' if you see what I mean, and it scares women. Put that patch here, on my head, please."

Once the patch of faux hair was ready, Artie placed glue on his scalp and Jim placed it on Artie's head – and the hole vanished.

Holding a portable mirror, Artemus admired Jim's work. "Very good, Jim! It's perfect! Thank you! I feel a lot better now."

There was a knock at the door and Richmond entered the lab. "I have received a message from the President; he wants Loveless behind bars as soon as possible. Any and all means are acceptable in order to arrest him, you have carte blanche, gentlemen."

Jim and Artemus exchanged an 'it's not going to be easy' look. Then Artemus said, "We're not sure he's still here, Sir."

Jim added, "But if he's still here, we have to set him a trap with something precious as bait. He needs money, he cannot resist the temptation."

Richmond nodded. "Good idea. Any ideas?"

Standing, Artie said, "Not yet. I'm going to prepare dinner. Cooking will help me to think." He headed toward the door, Marmalade following him.

Seeing that the Colonel was surprised, Jim said, "Artie usually has a brilliant idea, having reached the preparation of the dessert. And he cooks like a real Grand Chef!"

WWW

 _Before the opening of the exhibition at the Museum of Arts_

 _Grand Hotel_

 _Room 17, the Golden Suite_

Closing the door of the hotel suite behind Richmond, Jim said, "Welcome, Colonel. Artemus is almost ready, he's in the bedroom. Is everything ready?"

Looking around him – everything had gold in it, the fringes of the carpets and curtains, the floral wallpaper, the couches upholstery, the frames of paintings, handles of the furniture, etc. – and replied. "Yes, I activated your small gadget before leaving the Wanderer and placed dummies on the couch." He smiled, amazed. "It's remarkable, hours of conversation and music engraved on such a small cylinder…"

Leading the Colonel to the back door, Jim replied, "Good! The men Loveless has posted in the station to observe the Wanderer – we spotted two of them - will believe that Artie and I are still inside the train. We left the train using the secret passage, unnoticed."

Richmond nodded. "Loveless is still here, somewhere… Do you think he'll steal the jewelry of the women invited to the reception?"

Jim nodded. "Yes, Sir, he will. The sapphires are now under heavy guard and impossible to steal again. He won't have any other choice but to target the Ladies tonight…"

Richmond nodded. "The Governor should arrive in half an hour, then leave a few minutes later with Miss Crawford on his arm…" He smiled. "I'm looking forward to meeting Miss Crawford…"

Opening the door of the bedroom Jim chuckled and said, "Colonel, may I introduce you to Miss Deborah Crawford…"

Eyes wide opened, gaping, Richmond blinked slowly, stunned. "Artemus?" he croaked. "You're absolutely lovely," he couldn't help saying, transfixed. He had before him the prettiest redhead he had seen in his life… and it was a man, disguised, he finally realized in awe. "It's fantastic!"

The faux Miss Deborah Crawford smiled. "Thank you Colonel," Artie said, with a feminine soprano voice. "I would have liked going to visit this exhibition on your arm, Colonel Richmond, but I'm really sorry, the Governor invited me first. Well, to be precise, the President asked him to be my cavalier and to participate in my little set up." Then he chuckled softly. "But he doesn't know that Miss Deborah Crawford is actually a man, so he can act naturally at my side. Then I do believe that my 'transformation' is a success?" He saw the Colonel nod. "I'm not sure about my jewelry…" He opened the box sat on the table and Richmond gasped in surprise. It was filled with earrings, necklaces, pendants, bracelets and rings. Gems, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires and rubies of all sizes were sparkling in the lamplight.

Richmond blinked. "They are faux gems, right?"

Eyes twinkling with amusement, Artie said, "Of course they are, Sir. But these stones are such good imitations that they look real. Even a specialist would not see the difference at first glance. Jim? What do you think?"

Standing beside Artemus, Jim fished a matching pair of faux diamonds clamp-earrings and large pectoral necklace from the jewelry box. "Diamonds. Loveless won't be able to resist the temptation to steal those diamonds. They should be worth a fortune." He placed the necklace around Artie's neck emphasizing his (faux) cleavage and added, "And they're perfect with your silver dress, Artie, I mean Artemis."

Looking down at his dress, Artie asked his partner, "You think? Because I brought a black silk dress with sumptuous lace made with silver threads…"

Shaking his head, Jim said, "No, you have to draw attention. Loveless loves all that glitters… You're perfect like this, buddy."

Looking at his reflection in the mirror of his dressing table, Artie said, "I suppose that my makeup has to be showy then?"

Looking at Artie's reflection in the mirror, Jim nodded. "Yes, but not too much, you're a Lady, Artemus, not some saloon girl." He took from the bed the holster, attached to an elastic band, containing a small gun, then said, "Stand up!" and Artie complied.

Pulling up the front part of his crinoline, the petticoat and the silver dress together, Artemus revealed his ladies half black boots and shaved legs.

Richmond was surprised. Seeing the Colonel's expression Jim explained, "We don't know what could happen, and hairy legs could ruin Artie's disguise." Then he slid the elastic band around Artie's left leg and placed it just below his knee. "All set, buddy."

Sitting again on his chair, Artie opened his makeup box and pulled out a red lipstick. "Thank you Jim. I'll take care of you in a short time. I have prepared everything for you. Disguising you as a blond, mustached waiter, wearing eyeglasses should take only a few minutes."

Fishing another lipstick from the makeup box, Jim said, "Drop the red, use this one, it's rose and shiny. You need to draw attention, Artie."

WWW

 _Later_

 _Museum of Arts,_

 _Opening of the exposition_

 _Hall_

Governor Windfield couldn't help but stare at the charming Miss Crawford, in discussion with a blond, mustached waiter, devouring her with his eyes.

Moving closer to Colonel Richmond, he said, "I shall thank the president the next time I see him, Miss Crawford is absolutely lovely…"

Richmond hid a smile. "Yes she is, Sir. She's a very good friend of the President's wife. The President wanted someone he appreciates to accompany Miss Crawford at this exhibition."

Pleased, Paul Windfield smiled. "He can count on me. She must be very rich; the diamonds in her necklace and earrings are worth a fortune…"

The head of the Secret Services took a sip of Champagne. "Yes she is… oh! She's coming back." 'You're amazing, Artemus!'

Holding two glasses of Champagne, Miss Crawford (Artemus Gordon) padded across the room, toward the two men looking at him, catching the eye of all the other males on his way. He read amusement in Richmond's eyes and desire in the Governor's.

He smiled, proudly, his disguise was really perfect! He offered a glass of bubbling liquid gold to the Governor. "I hope I didn't interrupt some important conversation," he said.

Paul Winfield shook his head, "Not at all, Miss Crawford, not at all. The Colonel was leaving…" and Richmond left.

He spotted Jim disguised as a waiter, standing behind a large table, pouring Champagne into glasses, and headed there.

He suddenly stopped dead in his tracks as he felt suddenly dizzy. His vision blurred and everything started spinning around him. Not being able to stand on his feet anymore, he sank to his knees. "Drugged…" he let out in a breath, and pulled out the gun from the holster at his hip. He tried to scramble to his feet, and managed to make it to his knees, his vision graying on the edges. He heard the thuds of bodies hitting the floor all around him, and slid sideways, unconscious.

Fighting against blackness engulfing him, Artie lowered his hand toward his right leg, toward the gun attached to his calf. He grunted, disgruntled, annoyed with himself. He hadn't anticipated that, and he should have. 'Jim… y're alone… now.'

He closed his eyes and went limp.

Rubbing his hands in glee Miguelito Loveless entered the vast room with four armed men following him, who immediately pointed their guns at those who hadn't drunk the drugged Champagne, that is the waiters. "No one moves and everything will be fine!" he said. "Don't worry, they're not dead, just unconscious, but do something, anything and you will die."

Holding a bag, he began collecting the women's jewelry, letting out pleased sounds when the gems were particularly big.

On the opposite side of the hall, Jim decided to execute the plan as expected; he would act alone, without Artemus, lying on the floor beside the Governor, passed out alongside him.

Slowly raising his hand he asked, "I'd like to rub my nose please, it itches…" The goon pointing his fun in his direction nodded. "Thank you."

He started rubbing his nose and froze, nervous, when he saw Loveless stop beside Artemus and remove his earrings and his faux-diamonds necklace.

Loveless was admiring them. "Beautiful, beautiful!" he exclaimed, beaming. He bowed his head. "Thank you very much, lovely lady."

He chuckled and continued to pick up jewelry.

Releasing a sigh of relief, Jim started to rub his nose again. Loveless hadn't notice the trickery. Artemus was safe, he thought.

He suddenly pushed his glasses from his nose and they dropped to the floor. He grimaced. "Oh dear God! No! No! No! That was my sole pair of glasses!" He looked at the goon with the Colt. "I hope they're not broken. Can I pick them up, please?"

Loveless' henchman nodded.

Slowly, Jim knelt down and quietly retrieved the box that he had slipped under the table, before the reception, covered by a long fringed napkin, in case everyone was searched. He took out two smoke bombs, filled with knockout gas, and slid them into the pocket of his pants, slid Artie's breathing mask into his left jacket pocket, and took two others small silver spheres, which he kept in his hands, one in each.

He stood and smiled at the hulking man with the gun. "I'm sorry, they slid under the table and I can't reach them, may I…" He removed the pins of the smoke bombs. "… Go to the other side?"

Frowning, annoyed, the brute groaned. "That's enough! Stay where you are and shut up blondie. Dr. Loveless is almost finished.

Seizing the occasion, while the other man was looking at his boss, Jim threw the first smoke bomb at the henchman's feet and it exploded, releasing a thick cloud of red smoke.

He did the same things at the feet of the other goons and pulled out his breathing mask, watching the henchmen collapse to the floor.

He rushed toward Miguelito Loveless who had frozen in the middle of the hall, holding a bag full of jewelry, stupefied.

The Derringer he kept hidden in his sleeve sprang out and he pointed it at the diminutive man. He removed his breathing mask and said, with a smile, "Dr. Loveless, In the name of the president of the United States, you're under arrest."

Loveless smiled. "Really Mr. West?

Glancing briefly at Artemus-Artemis, still unconscious, he said, "Yes, really. I have finally caught you, Dr. Loveless. You'll go back to prison."

Loveless glanced around him. "Clever trap. Where is your other half, Mr. Gordon? He's not far I guess, probably disguised… and neutralized. One down, one to go…"

He pressed the piece of metal resting in his palm and it triggered a mechanism. The triggered mechanism released a spring that held a small tube. There was a hiss coming from it and a small dart… hit Jim in the middle of his chest.

He removed the dart embedded in his ribs, wincing. But it was too late.

Loveless chuckled as Jim stumbled, his eyes closing. "You should be proud, I used your sleeve gun device as a model to build that small – but efficient, weapon. The effect of the drug is almost instantaneous. Be seeing you, Mr. West. I won."

Moaning, Jim collapsed to the floor.

Tbc.


	6. Tag

**THE NIGHT OF THE MERMAID**

 **By Andamogirl**

WWW

 **TAG**

 _The next morning_

 _The Wanderer, on its way to Washington_

Groaning, Jim rested his head on the table, forehead resting against his cup of steaming coffee and pancakes-covered-plate - untouched. His splitting headache was torture. "Ow…"

On the other side of the table, Artie had pillowed his head in the crook of his arm, beside the pot of coffee and the pots of jams, eyes tightly shut, as he was fighting nausea.

The smell of coffee and breakfast, (that Richmond had prepared and was the only one to eat it), was hardly bearable.

Siting on the golden silk brocade couch, reading the San Francisco Herald, Richmond was sipping Earl Grey tea. "Loveless stole a fortune! Estimated amount, 15,000 dollars! All the people invited to that reception are furious! The two of you included, but not for the same reasons. Loveless vanished, again! He looked at his two agents. "I'm not happy, and the President's not too. But he's not blaming you, and neither will I. You did your best. He's very intelligent and twisted. But one day, he'll make a mistake and you'll arrest him." He folded the newspaper and tossed it on the seat across from him. He stood and sat on a chair, at the table. "I'm sure."

Shifting a little, Artie rasped, "Yes… there'll be other times to capture… Oooh Loveless, Sir… He was-he was proba… Oooh!... proba-probably furious when he discovered that my diamonds were just glass… oooh… boy, I'm gonna die!"

Grunting, Jim raised a limp hand. "Make that two…Tell me Colonel… why are you feeling good and not us? Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Richmond smiled. "I'm not alright. I was affected too, but I drank less Champagne that Artemus-is, but just enough to lose consciousness… and I wasn't drugged by a dart." He frowned. "You're not getting better than this morning when you woke up at the hospital." He took the teapot and poured himself a new cup and smiled. "The nurses were very surprised when they undressed you to put you in a hospital gown Artemus… I had to explain your elaborate disguise to everyone…"

The scent of bergamot was too much for Artemus. His face green, he stood, swayed on unsteady legs for a couple of seconds, and then rushed to the narrow walkway, head pressed over his mouth – straight toward the bathroom, and the toilets.

Richmond shook his head, feeling sorry. "I hope the two of you will get better so…" and watched Jim stand in his turn, holding his head, wincing. "My head's gonna explode…"

He too brought his hand to his mouth but he sprinted toward the galley. Marmalade jumped on the table and meowed.

Richmond could hear the sounds of violent retching from behind the galley and from the bathroom. He sighed and poured some milk into a saucer. "It's just you and me now, Marmalade," he said watching the white and orange cat lap the milk.

WWW

 _Later, at Sacramento railroad station_

Eyes closed, Artemus was relaxing in his hot, steaming bath, humming a little tune when Jim knock at the door of the bathroom. "Go away!" he said.

But the door opened and Jim entered and discovered the older man leaning back in the tub, head resting on a folded towel, eyes closed. "Artie? Are you okay buddy? You vanished in here half an hour ago. I was getting worried, you know."

Cracking open one slightly bloodshot eye, Artemus said, "I feel better, thanks. You?"

Closing the door behind him, Jim nodded. His eyes still had dark circles around them but less noticeable now. He said, "Yes, thank you. Are you finished? Other people here – namely me - would like to take a long, hot, bath."

He noticed Artie's green shell sat on top of a bath towel, folded on a stool, shining in the lamplight. "Did you try to breathe underwater again?"

Opening one chocolate eye, Artie nodded. "Yes, I wanted to know if I could breathe under a water which is not coming from the seas or oceans, the answer is no. I swallowed a gallon of soapy water trying to…" He gave Jim a tired smile. "I'll keep it with me next time we have an assignment by the ocean, you never know. It could be very handy. Breathing under water is a big plus."

Sitting on a second stool Jim nodded. "I'm glad it worked on the beach, because you're still here. You're still alive thanks to that shell, buddy, and to that mermaid."

He grabbed the pitcher placed on the floor, plunged it under the lightly foamy bathwater and playfully poured the said bathwater on top of Artie's head. "Come on! Move! I want to take a bath too."

Closing his eyes, Artie groaned. "You're going to have to wait to take a bath until I'm finished, or you can take a shower. There is a shower in this room besides a bathtub, here, you know? I spent a lot of time to make schematics, to make all the plumbing, to install this shower, to adjust the pressure of the water and the temperature... You want to clean yourself? Then you take a shower Jim, and let me relax in my bath…" Glancing at his bubbly toes, wiggling them, Artie shook his head. "I had a fish tail in my dream, along with gleaming silvery-blue scales … " He sighed and said, "James my boy, you need to learn patience. You want my place, then you have to wait."

Smirking, Jim poured a second pitcher of water on top of his best friend's head to irritate him. "Patience is not my forte, Artemus."

But it didn't work.

Smiling Artemus said, "Thanks, Jim." His soapy arm emerging from the water, he grabbed the bottle of shampoo sitting on the floor. He poured some of the pale purple liquid onto his head, the scent of lavender hitting his nose, and then he worked the shampoo into a lather, humming the little tune again, playfully ignoring Jim, who was narrowing his eyes.

Changing tactics, Jim said, falsely innocently, "What's this? Lavender? A new experimental shampoo?" Artie nodded. "I like it. By the way… the Colonel felt a little aimless, so he decided to completely re-organize _your_ _precious galley_ … He's changing things from their original places, 'in the interests of efficiency', he told me. Poor Artie, you won't find anything in your galley after that…"

A small smile playing on his lips, Artie didn't rise to the bait. "Yes, _I know_ , he asked me how he could help us, and I proposed that he do that. He accepted immediately. He's military, Jim. My galley will be impeccably tidied up and ordered. The galley was a mess after you tried to cook the last time, Jim; and I haven't found time to deal with that." He chuckled. "That was a good tactic, to try to make me leave my bath by talking about my beloved galley I let no one else touch, except you, and Richmond now. But it didn't work." He dipped his head under the water and surfaced a few seconds later, a mass of bubbles covering his face. He splashed his face, and looked up at Jim. Injecting some authority into his tone, he commanded, "You take a shower Mr. West, no discussion!" His voice softening, he added, "James, my boy, you could play with your shell later." He grinned in victory and slowly sank to the bottom of the tub, bubbly water submerging him.

Jim scowled in total and utter defeat.

WWW

 _Later, at the railroad station_

Colonel Richmond closed the door of the parlor car behind him and, holding the package, he headed toward the table. Jim and Artemus were sitting on each side of it, having breakfast.

He placed it beside Artie's plate and said, "The delivery boy said it was for you, and nothing else." He frowned, intrigued. "I'm wondering what's inside."

Taking the small package, Artie examined it from all angles. There was just 'for Artemus Gordon' written on the brown paper.

Frowning too, but in worry, Jim said, "I'm wondering who knows that you are here, Artie. Be careful, it could be a bomb."

Richmond raised his eyebrows. "A bomb?"

Jim nodded and took a sip of coffee. "Yes, we've met people who can build bombs the size of a small music box… and they usually use booby-trap music boxes to kill people."

Removing the brown paper, Artemus revealed a rectangular box made with precious varnished wood. "It looks like a jewelry box…"

He slowly opened it – everyone holding their breath – and discovered a folded piece of paper inside. He took it and gasped. His faux diamond necklace and earrings were nestled in the velvet-covered lower part of the box. He unfolded the message and read aloud, "Dear Mr. Gordon, these fake jewels belong to you, so I send them back to you. I enjoyed your disguise immensely, afterwards. At that moment I did not pay attention to you, interested by your – very well imitated – diamonds, only. I congratulate you for your creativity and your talent for acting. Be seeing you, soon, signed M Q Loveless." He smiled and fingered the necklace. "I'm glad to have them back. I like them."

Taking the message, Richmond frowned and said, "I hope that one day he will end behind bars and stay there, for a long, long time."

Closing the varnished box Artie nodded, "Yes, Sir. Us too, but like you saw, it's not easy to catch him. He's brilliant and cunning."

Jim concluded, "But we'll catch him, because we are the best."

The end


End file.
